Nick and Britni Fritz hold a sketch of plans for the Owen Abbott Memorial Splash Pad to be built soon in downtown Winamac. With them are Winamac Town Council Members (l-r) Judy Heater, Tom Murray, Larry Weaver, David Schambers and Alvin Parish.

The project was announced at the February meeting of the Winamac Town Council. The town has recently acquired the grain elevator property and has plans for demolition of the site in the coming weeks, reports town manager Brad Zellers. He added that construction of the 70-by-50 foot splash pad will begin soon after. The site, adjacent to the Winamac Parkway and Panhandle Pathway trail, will also eventually include a shelter, benches, landscaping, ADA-compliant sidewalks and parking to be provided by the town. The town is working to secure funding for its portion of the project.

“This will be a great addition to the town’s park and recreational areas, and will have no fee to use,” Zellers said.

The town council has been working with its parks board for some time to purchase and develop plans for the grain elevator property, also working with State Rep. Doug Gutwein and town attorney Justin Schramm to successfully complete the acquisition.

Mrs. Fritz has been contributing ideas for the splash pad design, hoping to use sports themes, particularly baseball, a favorite sport of her late son.

Winamac Elevator history

According to a biographical history of Pulaski County the “Smith” elevator in Winamac was built by George Parratt (1826-1905), a Civil War soldier and carpenter by trade.

In 1899 Julia A. and Hugh C. Smith leased the grain elevator in Winamac, (then called the Winamac Elevator), to George Starr for one year, according to Starr family business records archived by the Indiana Historical Society. In 1902 Smith sold the elevator, with all its enumerated equipment, to Starr Brothers. The elevator continued under Starr family management until 1928. In 1917 the firm's name changed from Starr Brothers to John R. Starr.

In 1929, Cooperative Elevator Company of Winamac leased the elevator, with option to buy, from John R. Starr. Cooperative Elevator eventually purchased the property and continued the business into the 1990s.

The property and its facilities have been rebuilt and reconfigured many times over the decades.