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58-403: Frederick Hinde Zimmerman was the founder and owner of the hotel, and he completed construction and opened the hotel to the public on August 7, 1922. The hotel had 36 rooms and one large assembly room that served as a dining room, meeting hall, and was used for weddings, exhibitions, anniversaries, and other important occasions. The hotel was one of the first major resorts on the southern portion of

116-751: A business was in 1883 when he ran a grocery store in Fort Smith, Arkansas with his cousin Harry Hinde. Many of his businesses centered on his family farm, but in later years Zimmerman achieved success through his ownership and investment in mines, banks, and real estate. He also owned or invested in the Hanging Rock and Grand Rapids Dam Farm Company, the Grand Rapids Hotel Park Company, and the Wabash Bull-Frog Mines Company. Zimmerman

174-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

232-564: A passenger train of the Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad (now the Chicago & Eastern Illinois ) wrecked near Hazleton. An embankment which carried the tracks past the White River had been weakened by the river's flood waters, and collapsed under the weight of the train, causing it to derail . Around a dozen people are believed to have been killed, though most bodies were never found. Hazleton

290-707: A portion of which was located on the Wabash River and included Hanging Rock , Buttercrust (a natural sandbar on the Wabash River), and the Grand Rapids Dam. His mother's family were large landowners in Mount Carmel and Wabash County, and the majority of the land had been purchased by Thomas S. Hinde in 1815 from the federal government. Originally, the family farm had belonged to Zimmerman's mother and her siblings, but his father purchased their interests. Zimmerman's father

348-623: A small shop near the dam that sold goods and fishing equipment to tourists, rented boats, and conducted tours. Nick Garrett, originally a hired hand on the Zimmerman farm, managed the store for the Zimmerman family. Zimmerman's uncle Captain Charles T. Hinde, a shipping magnate who played an important role in the development of Southern California through his various investments with John D. Spreckels and E. S. Babcock , mentored Zimmerman in business strategies. Specifically, Zimmerman and Hinde discussed

406-546: A wealthy family, and Belinda Hinde, a member of the prominent Hinde family and the daughter of Rev. Thomas S. Hinde , the founder of Mount Carmel. His parents met and were married in Marshall, Illinois while his father ran a newspaper and his mother lived with her sister Martha Hinde and her husband Judge Charles H. Constable . During the Civil War, Zimmerman's father and uncles grew tobacco and operated mills on their family's farm,

464-733: A wealthy man who was an investor in the Hotel del Coronado with John D. Spreckels . It has been suggested, but has not yet been proven that the Reid Brothers designed the Grand Rapids Hotel because of Hinde's close relationship to the brothers while he lived in Evansville, Indiana . Moreover, the Reid Brothers designed Hinde's house and church in Coronado, California in 1887. The Grand Rapids Hotel

522-485: A yearlong membership in 1901 cost $ 71.99. The district director stated that during the tenure of Zimmerman and the other officers they made the institute, "...look very attractive after they fixed it up with flags and bunting ." At this time the institute members and Zimmerman were followers of the Grangers Movement , which put emphasis on families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of

580-525: Is a town in White River Township , Gibson County , Indiana , United States. The population was 263 at the 2010 census making it the second smallest community in the county. While having almost no connection to it, it is part of the Evansville, Indiana , Metropolitan Area . Hazleton is the second-oldest town in Gibson County after Patoka . It was named in honor of Gervas Hazleton, believed to be

638-475: Is located at 38°29′20″N 87°32′30″W  /  38.48889°N 87.54167°W  / 38.48889; -87.54167 (38.488953, -87.541652). The town is situated along the south bank of the White River in northern Gibson County (the river marks the county line between Gibson and Knox counties). State Road 56 connects the town with U.S. Route 41 , which runs northward to Vincennes and southward to

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696-479: The California Gold Rush . After moving to Fort Smith, they owned and operated a grocery store from 1883 to 1886. Judge Isaac C. Parker at this time was in the process of eradicating the brothels, saloons, and outlaws that had taken over Fort Smith through increased public hangings and stiffer criminal penalties and this general lawless environment made operation of the grocery store difficult. This period in

754-474: The Evansville area. Hazleton is 422 feet (129 m) above sea level. According to the 2010 census, Hazleton has a total area of 0.33 square miles (0.85 km ), all land. As of the census of 2020, there were 194 people, 108 households, and 78 families residing in the town. The population density was 797.0 inhabitants per square mile (307.7/km ). There were 120 housing units at an average density of 363.6 per square mile (140.4/km ). The racial makeup of

812-621: The Grand Rapids Hotel near the Grand Rapids Dam , and invested in numerous business ventures. The Grand Rapids Hotel was one of his most notable accomplishments and soon after opening in 1922 attracted tourists from across the nation. The hotel was one of the largest resorts in the Wabash Valley and at one time had fishing, trap shoots, baseball, golf, boating, swimming, a restaurant, and other recreational activities. The hotel promoted

870-475: The Hotel del Coronado investment, which Hinde had contributed to in the late 1880s. Over the years Zimmerman often traveled to Coronado, California to visit Hinde. When Charles T. Hinde died in 1915, he left Zimmerman and Harry Hinde a substantial portion of his estate. Adjusting for inflation, Zimmerman inherited millions from the estate. After the estate was settled in 1917, Zimmerman decided to use his portion of

928-630: The Knights of Pythias . In 1906, Zimmerman became chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias lodge in Wabash County, Illinois and was a captain in the uniform rank of the order. After receiving title to the Hinde family farm in 1902, Zimmerman built a house near the Grand Rapids Dam . Once construction of the new home was completed, Zimmerman used two horse teams and numerous men to lift his father's old home near

986-672: The board of directors of multiple banks in the Midwest, and owned a substantial interest in The First National Bank in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Zimmerman's primary business at this time was his management of the Grand Rapids Dam and Hanging Rock Farms Company, which was organized to manage the farming operations of the family farm and the increasing number of tourists visiting its Grand Rapids Dam and Hanging Rock sections. The Grand Rapids Dam created favorable fishing conditions, which attracted large numbers of people. Zimmerman also opened

1044-518: The poverty line , including 36.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 12.5% of those 65 or over. Prior to 1963, students were zoned to Hazleton High School. That year, it merged into White River High School, which had the school colors as red, white, and blue and the mascots as the Little Giants. In 1965, that school in turn merged into Princeton Community High School . Nathan Blackford of Evansville Living described White River High as "Possibly

1102-547: The City of Mount Carmel, Illinois , three months after the Grand Rapids Hotel was destroyed. The hotel and dam concrete remains are still existing and visible. The front steps of the hotel can be viewed from the river road outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois. 38°26′11.54″N 87°44′39.15″W  /  38.4365389°N 87.7442083°W  / 38.4365389; -87.7442083 Frederick Hinde Zimmerman Frederick Hinde Zimmerman (October 17, 1864 – September 21, 1924)

1160-672: The Civil War. At the age of one, Zimmerman's mother died and he was sent to live with family in Ohio and did not see his father again until he was fourteen. Towards the end of his life, Zimmerman was elected to various positions of leadership in the Knights of Pythias and Illinois Farmers Institute. He was elected secretary of the Illinois Farmers Institute for multiple terms. During Zimmerman's life he managed banks, his family farm in Mount Carmel Precinct, Wabash County, Illinois ,

1218-477: The Grand Rapids Hotel next to the Grand Rapids Dam in 1922. Construction of the hotel began in the early 1920s and was announced as being officially completed on August 2, 1922. According to the article that described the hotel, it had 36 rooms, bathing, boating, various other amusements, and was "...one of the greatest resort centers in the Wabash valley." The August 1925 edition of Outdoor Recreation Magazine described

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1276-572: The Grand Rapids Hotel was divided equally between his children. They owned the hotel until it burned in 1929. In 1901, Zimmerman was elected secretary of the Illinois Farmers' Institute, a position he held for three years. His father also held leadership positions with the Illinois Farmers' Institute and frequently gave speeches on good farming practices, the origin of soils, the road system, and climatic influence on plants. Meetings during his tenure as secretary averaged 350 participating members and

1334-405: The Hinde family farm by his father on July 13, 1902, after he married Agnes Oldendorf (1872–1922). Agnes was the daughter of Peter and Mary S. Oldendorf who ran a music business and were retail liquor dealers in Mount Carmel. The brother of Zimmerman's wife, Charles Oldendorf, who served as mayor of Mount Carmel, Illinois during the late 1890s, encouraged Zimmerman to join the fraternal organization

1392-484: The Wabash River and quickly was able to attract tourist from across the country because of its location on the river and ease of access provided by the railroad. During its nine-year existence the hotel established a reputation for luxury and high quality. In later years, after manager Glenn Goodart took over operation of the hotel, it gradually began to lose patronage due to incompetent business planning and flooding of

1450-531: The Wabash River in the summers of 1927, 1928, and 1929. On July 29, 1929, Glenn Goodart burned the Grand Rapids Hotel to the ground by dropping a blowtorch in the basement shop. Three months before Goodart burned the hotel down, the United States Senate Committee on Commerce had decided to remove the Grand Rapids Dam by revoking funding. Due to the onset of the Great Depression shortly after

1508-519: The age of four in Wabash County, Illinois. Zimmerman stayed with his father's sisters in Ohio on a farm that his grandfather Henry Zimmerman had purchased from the Wyandot Indians in the 1840s, until his father remarried (to Emma Harris) in 1875. His father was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1878 and served two full terms until 1882. In 1879 Frederick returned to

1566-462: The annual fair in Mount Carmel as he was returning to his farm at the Grand Rapids Dam on September 21, 1924. Before returning to his residence, Zimmerman, with his children, stopped by the Grand Rapids Hotel to check on the daily business. As he exited the car driven by his son, he fell and broke his hip. Even though he was treated for his injuries by Dr. G.S. Couch, Zimmerman died the next day. According to his obituary, Zimmerman died of "hardening of

1624-465: The area. Baseball teams from Hazleton , Vincennes , Grayville , Bicknell , Evansville , Haubstadt , Salem , Marion , Benton , Wheatland , Johnson , and Sparta played at the baseball diamond on the Grand Rapids Hotel grounds. Both teams were managed by hotel manager Glenn Goodart. The Grand Rapids Hotel burned to the ground on July 24, 1929, due to a suspicious blowtorch incident involving Glenn Goodart. According to newspaper articles, Goodart

1682-605: The arteries." In his will, he left about seventy-five percent of his estate to his son and about twenty-five percent to his daughter. Some of the stock in The First National Bank in Mount Carmel that Zimmerman left to his daughter caused her financial hardships due to the bank's failure during the Great Depression. Zimmerman is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Carmel, Illinois, next to his father Jacob Zimmerman, his wife Agnes Zimmerman, and his longtime friend and farm hand Nick Garrett. Hazleton, Indiana Hazleton

1740-506: The best known of the breed in herd and pedigree listings. For a short time Zimmerman and his father raised registered Shropshire sheep primarily for meat, at the family farm near the Grand Rapids Dam. Some of their Shropshire sheep were listed on the American Shropshire Registry, which was a national register for the highest quality sheep of the breed. Zimmerman's son lived on the family farm his entire life and in later years

1798-450: The blowtorch fire started by manager Glenn Goodart may have actually been a cover for an alcohol still explosion in the basement. No matter the cause of the explosion it has been conclusively proven that alcohol was served at the hotel in violation of prohibition. One source states that hotel design was partially based on the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California . Captain Hinde was

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1856-536: The city Thomas S. Hinde created the Wabash Navigation Company and eventually was able to charter a dam to be built next to the property where the hotel was later built. After the Grand Rapids Dam was completed the dam and Hanging Rock drew large numbers of tourists in the decades that followed. Frederick Hinde Zimmerman , the grandson of Thomas S. Hinde, and the nephew of Captain Charles T. Hinde , built

1914-669: The community and agriculture. Zimmerman was known for raising some of the finest trotting horses in Southern Illinois , and many of his horses were noted for their dressage ability. Zimmerman also operated a successful livestock operation that focused on raising specialty hogs and cattle. He was noted nationally as a breeder and owner of Holstein-Friesian cows by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. Three of his Holstein cows (Netherland Gem Segis, Kosa Beat Segis, and Vickery de Kol Korndyke) were listed among

1972-641: The family farm in Wabash County, Illinois to live with his father and stepmother. Zimmerman graduated from high school in Mount Carmel, Illinois, and then worked on the family farm near the Grand Rapids Dam until 1883, where he oversaw the farming operations and raised livestock. During his youth, Zimmerman was commonly called "Freddie" or "Freddie boy" by his family and close friends. In 1883, at age nineteen, Zimmerman and his cousin Harry Hinde were invited by Zimmerman's uncle Edmund C. Hinde to move to Fort Smith, Arkansas , where Hinde lived following his return from

2030-459: The family until the 1950s. After closing the grocery store in Arkansas in 1886, Zimmerman returned to the family farm and became a gentleman farmer . After Zimmerman returned, his father gave a small acreage of the Hinde farm to Zimmerman's half brother John H. Zimmerman, who raised pigs and farmed the acreage until he sold the property to Zimmerman several years later. Zimmerman was given title to

2088-462: The fishing at Grand Rapids as where the, "...choicest table fish to be found in the river..." are located. Some people claim that gangsters referred to as the Chicago Outfit associated with Al Capone would take the train from Chicago and stay at the hotel. It is not known if the men were smuggling liquor in violation of Prohibition or merely vacationing. Other commentators have suggested that

2146-453: The growth of the region by increasing the number of tourists and by hosting large-scale meetings and public events like celebrations at Hallowe'en, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. He died from complications of a broken hip that he suffered near the Grand Rapids Hotel in 1924 after falling out of his Model T automobile . Five years after Zimmerman died, the hotel was burned to the ground – in 1929

2204-722: The history of Fort Smith has been memorialized in the novel True Grit , and the two movies it inspired, True Grit (1969) and True Grit (2010). The grocery store was unsuccessful, and they sold the business. Zimmerman returned to Mount Carmel, Illinois, but he remained close to his cousin, who later was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives , operated several businesses, and speculated in real estate. In later years, along with their uncle Charles T. Hinde , they invested in real estate and mines in New Mexico. The New Mexico properties only returned modest profits but were kept in

2262-571: The hotel burned under mysterious circumstances due to a blowtorch incident involving Goodart. The hotel had two baseball teams during its nine-year existence. The first team was the Grand Rapids Steppers and it existed from 1925–1927. The second team was the Mount Carmel Boosters and it only existed during the 1928 season. The baseball teams that the hotel sponsored and managed were very successful and played teams from all around

2320-531: The hotel was burned down, it was not rebuilt. The same year Goodart burned the hotel down he was elected as Finance Commissioner for Wabash County, Illinois . The land the hotel was built on was formerly part of a Piankeshaw Indian summer campground. Thomas S. Hinde purchased the property in 1815 from the United States Government and quickly with other Methodist ministers founded the city of Mount Carmel, Illinois. To help entice people to settle in

2378-488: The hotel's manager, Glenn Goodart , caused a fire by dropping a blowtorch in the basement. The hotel was not rebuilt due to a lack of funds and the onset of the Great Depression . Frederick Hinde Zimmerman was born on his family farm in the Mount Carmel Precinct, Wabash County, Illinois on October 17, 1864. He was the second child of the Honorable Jacob Zimmerman , an Illinois congressman and politician from

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2436-419: The money to establish a hotel and resort on the Hinde family farm next to the Grand Rapids Dam; before he could start, he had to wait for the conclusion of World War I . Construction of the hotel likely began sometime in 1919 or 1920 and continued until the hotel was completed on August 7, 1922. A few months after the opening of the hotel, Zimmerman's wife, Agnes, died. The hotel, which was easy to access due to

2494-430: The railroad and Wabash River, was an immediate success and attracted people from across the country. It was advertised in many of the leading national newspapers, and eventually expanded into a full resort with golf, baseball, trap shoots, boating, and many other activities. Zimmerman chose O.L. Rapson , who had worked at the family farm and lived in a small house next to his, as The Grand Rapids Hotel's first manager. He

2552-499: The river and move it to higher ground closer to his new house. The couple had two children, Rebecca Zimmerman in 1901 and Peter Jacob Hinde Zimmerman in 1903. Zimmerman and his wife raised their children in the Methodist faith and they attended school in Mount Carmel. From his son's early years Zimmerman trained him to operate the farm and livestock. His son won many awards in livestock shows. Following Zimmerman's death in 1924, ownership of

2610-498: The second settler to permanently locate to the county. Hazleton first lived in a crude camp lit by large log fires that was a popular stopover for early migrants to the area. The town was platted in 1856 by Lucius French. T. S. Fuller erected the town's first frame building, and John Breedlove built the town's blacksmith shop. The first steamboat of any note to travel up the White River was the Cleopatria in 1884. On March 10, 1897,

2668-501: The time Zimmerman was born, he had retired from the newspaper business to focus on running the Hinde family farm and on politics. Based on an entry in Edmund C. Hinde 's diaries, Zimmerman's uncle, judge Charles H. Constable, and then his mother died from morphine overdoses that may have resulted from an addiction to the drug developed during the Civil War. Shortly after the death of his mother Belinda, Zimmerman's older brother Charles died at

2726-517: The town was 97.3% White , 2.3% African American , and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 108 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who

2784-411: The town. The population density was 841.0 inhabitants per square mile (324.7/km ). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 347.5 per square mile (134.2/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 97.22% White , and 2.78% from two or more races. There were 108 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had

2842-409: Was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 31,875, and the median income for a family was $ 36,406. Males had a median income of $ 28,750 versus $ 28,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 13,156. About 25.0% of families and 25.9% of the population were below

2900-486: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the town was 44.9 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 288 people, 108 households, and 84 families residing in

2958-537: Was able to purchase the Hinde farm because he had become wealthy through his ownership of various newspapers in the preceding years. His father lived on the farm near the Grand Rapids Dam from 1860 until moving to a 160-acre farm in the southwestern part of Friendsville, Illinois in 1903. When Zimmerman was one year old, his mother died and his father sent him to live with family in Ohio. His father owned newspapers in Marshall, Illinois, and in Mount Carmel, Illinois, but by

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3016-499: Was alone and accidentally burned the hotel by dropping a blowtorch. At the time, there were suspicions whether the fire was intentional, but Goodart was never prosecuted for arson . Goodart had only one leg due to a train accident. Shortly after the hotel burned down, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred and the hotel was never rebuilt due to a lack of money caused by the Great Depression . Goodart became Finance Commissioner for

3074-554: Was among the fourth generation of the Hinde family in the United States that was begun by his great-grandfather Dr. Thomas Hinde . His grandfather Thomas S. Hinde was a prominent politician and Methodist minister who contributed to the development of Illinois, Indiana, and the spread of the Methodist faith. His father Jacob Zimmerman held various political offices in the state of Illinois and in his early years owned several prominent Democratic newspapers in Ohio and Illinois right before

3132-426: Was an American banker, farmer, real estate entrepreneur , businessman, and hotel owner. Due to his large land holdings and expertise in farming, Zimmerman became a notable farmer, breeder, and real estate entrepreneur. Zimmerman's farm, originally purchased by his grandfather Thomas S. Hinde from the federal government in 1815, included the Grand Rapids Dam , Hanging Rock , and Buttercrust. His first experience running

3190-473: Was elected to various public offices in Wabash County Illinois. Like his father, he continued the tradition of raising specialty hogs and cattle. Both men continually expanded the family land holdings and diversified the farming operations. In the early 1900s Zimmerman began to invest in other business ventures and strengthen his relationship with his uncle Captain Charles T. Hinde who at that time

3248-430: Was fired in 1924 after the sudden death of Zimmerman and replaced by Rapson's friend Glenn Goodart at the request of Zimmerman's children. In 1929, Goodart burned the hotel to the ground by dropping a blowtorch in its basement shop; it was not rebuilt due to the onset of the Great Depression and a lack of available funds. A few weeks before Zimmerman's death in 1924, he suffered a stroke. He died after an eventful day at

3306-754: Was living in Coronado, California , and was vice president of the Speckels Brothers Commercial Company in San Diego . Some of Zimmerman's more notable businesses were a coal mine in Indiana , a few mines in the western United States, and a company he co-owned, the Wabash Bull-Frog Mines Company in Nevada and Arizona, which he began investing in from August 1905. Zimmerman's father owned many coal mines in Illinois and Indiana, so in his later years, Zimmerman also invested in some of them. Zimmerman also served on

3364-423: Was the first major hotel in the region and had a nine-hole golf course and a baseball diamond on the grounds. During the hotel's operation, it was managed by O.L. Rapson and Glenn Goodart . Rapson managed the hotel from 1922 until 1924, and Goodart managed the hotel from 1924-1929. Many of the leading social organizations of the time had meetings or other social events at the hotel's restaurant and grounds. In 1929,

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