LAKETON - A TIMELINE  (Ruth Brubaker, LAKETON: YESTERDAY AND TODAY 1836-1976, pp. 18-30)
1832	Wabash County founded.
1834	Wabash City platted.
1836	Pleasant Township formed.
1836	Laketon founded by Hanna, Cassett, and Thomas
1836	The first mill built on Silver Creek by James Cox; one of the first industries in the county.
1838	Dam built on Eel River by William Sewell with hopes of having a mill; Mr. Sewell was caught on logs & drowned.
1838	Laketon post office established.
1842	First school built for District 12 which was at Laketon.
1855	Mill established on Eel River, across from Ijamsville cemetery.
1855	United Brethren Church organized in Laketon.
1857	The first school was abandoned and second school built for Laketon.
1872	Detroit, Eel River and Illinois Railroad built south of Laketon.
1872	Mendenhalls, living a little west of Laketon found some very large bones.
1874	Ijamsville post office established.
1874	J.W. Jordan, Principal at Manchester High School, had an Academy in Laketon, located in the school on the northeast corner of Main and Wayne Streets.
1874	Ijamsville platted by Daniel Van Buskirk.
1874	Covered bridge built over Eel River at the edge of Laketon.
1876	Joseph Woodring was killed over water rights at the sawmill west of Laketon.
1877	School became to small again and the Trustee planned to build a new brick one, having two stories and more room.
1878	New school had a few high school subjects and there were some who got diplomas, including G.N. Moyer.
1880	Laketon Nursery established by Mr. George N. Moyer.
1881	July 30 - The Laketon Free Press Newspaper was printed.
1883	Laketon school had a high school course and first graduation class with four pupils.
1883	The Chicago and Erie Railroad completed; was begun in 1881.
1886	February 13 - Laketon Depot burned. Part of the round house at Newton was used as a depot until new one was built.
1888	Murdered body found in Long Lake.
1888	Construction of the Laketon Pumping Station.
1889	Bad leak in oil tank at pumping station.
1891	Pipeline owned by Standard Oil Co.; Standard owned the Round Lake Summer Resort, exclusively for employees.
1892	Interlocking switch at Laketon junction.
1893	Freeman Fox bought hotel at Newton.
1894	Post office robbed at Laketon.
1894	United Brethren Church built new church; still in use.
1896	Joe West started his meat market.
1896	One of the worst fires in town of Laketon; bigger part of a block was burned.
1897	New school was needed; bonds for a new building issued.
1897	Laketon school house bonds were bought by the Lawrence Bank ($8,000), Trustee Shipely.
1897	S.A. Mow organized the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
1897	School had to open in the old building as the new one not yet ready. Prof. C.R. Kerr, Principal.
1897	Post office at Laketon robbed.
1898	Mill struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
1899	Laketon High School commissioned.
1903	Talk of making cement at Laketon.
1903	Mill sold because of bad management and had gone into receivership.
1903	Wesleyan Methodist built a new church on corner of Mill and Lake Streets.
1904	Talk of a trolley line.
1904-07	Laketon had a brick factory; manufactured white bricks.
1905	U.G. Estep and Miller, owners of the mill, told they could heat, light and power North Manchester.
1906	Lakeside Church, located near Round Lake, burned to the ground.
1907	Dam was felt to be too high and was lowered.
1908	Telephone company moved from the hardware to the brick building on Main Street.
1908	High water washed out the mill dam.
1909	Dam rebuilt but caused a great loss to Mr. Fell.
1909	Laketon let it be known they wanted a bank.
1910	A skeleton was found in Laketon.
1910	Wabash Plain Dealer ran a contest for selling the most papers in this county. Prize was a trip to Europe and won by Mrs. Bernice Sewell Ireland for selling $450.00.
1912	Dam gave way again due to the way it was built.
1912	August 22 - Laketon Bank was started. On August 29, a Directors meeting was held.
1913	June 5 - Hearing on the Erie and Laketon road case. This was the start of the double tracking of the Erie Railroad.
1913	August 7 - Laketon getting two subway crossings.
1913	August 11 - Laketon found they had a bad sink hole west of town.
1913	September 4 - Work started on the building of the Laketon Elevator, for many years known as the Farmers Elevator.
1914	June 4 - Laketon Post Office robbed for the second time.
1914	Second Home Economics Club in the county organized in Laketon.
1915	Laketon thought they might get electricity by rebuilding the dam and having their own plant. But in June the town decided it best to wait on lights.
1916	Bus service was given to Laketon as well as Wabash, North Manchester, Roann, and South Whitley.
1917	Bernice Leel showed ladies how to cold pack vegetables.
1917	April - Laketon was to send recruits to World War I from this part of the county.
1919	September - Wabash felt they might extend their electric line to Laketon.
1919	September - The Laketon mill was sold to Frank Olney of South Bend. He moved the machinery to South Bend and the building was wrecked.
1919-1920	Old Town Hall was moved from behind the old school to the new school and put behind the gymnasium.
1920	Laketon had a "Boy Prodigy" - Joseph Stockton, twelve years old and teaching French.
1920	Paul Rooney drowned in Long Lake due to a storm; it took two days to find the body.
1920	Part of Laketon streets were asphalted.
1920	Calvin O'Hara was hit by Erie train at depot and died from the injuries.
1923	Closing of the Ijamsville Post Office.
1924	October 16 - Pumps were idle at Standard Oil Station.
1924	October 30 - Laketon got electric lights.
1925	April 12 - Laketon Bank was robbed.
1925	November 9 - Farmers Elevator at Laketon put up for sale after having gone into receivership.
1925	December 21 - Elevator sold to Arthur De Lauter, Lyman and George Metzger.
1926	Laketon streets asphalted and crushed rock put on; Shirley Mylin did the work.
1926	March 26 - L.O. Wertenberger sold the hardware to Robert Fulton and Howard Rager.
1926	Ulrey's Landing opened at Long Lake.
1928	Sunrise Dairies started.
1929	First addition to Laketon school house.
1929	Laketon Garage sold and moved to site where Devon Ogden lived.
1929	James L. Smith built the present Laketon garage.
1930	Laketon Bank closed.
1930	Joe West store robbed, but got money back.
1930-31	James L. Smith built the home where Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ohmart lived
1931	Jesse Trickle Sr. hit by car near the Dennis Briner home and was killed.
1931	James L. Smith built the garage next to the house. This was used as a garage for several years by different men for repair business.
1933	No more mail route out of Laketon.
1933	Laketon Conservation Club organized.
1935	Conservation Club bought lot on Round Lake to build club house.
1936	Laketon was 100 years old.
1936	Laketon's last doctor left.
1936	Three people murdered west of Laketon.
1937	Laketon has a big "Homecoming."
1937	Conservation clubhouse was completed.
1938	Harry Rager bought the Bussard school and tore it down, cleaned the bricks and started to build his home.
1938	Ralph Vories married Marjorie Wertenberger and about this time became partner of L.O. Wertenberger.
1940	Harry Rager's home was completed and moved into.
1943	John Moyer took over the Laketon Nursery.
1943	Harley and Lilly Pence moved to the farm. Raymond and Mae, with their family, took over the store.
1944	Samuel Moubary, 16, drowned in Long Lake.
1944	E.E. Clingenpeel bought the Macabbee Hall and tore it down.
1945	Laketon Marl and Gravel Company was organized.
1945	E.E. Clingenpeel took the top story off of the old hotel making it one story.
1946	Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swygart took over Ulrey's Landing.
1946	This was the last year the ice house was filled.
1946	Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ohmart and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ireland bought the Sunrise Dairies.
1946	Laketon American Legion Post 402 was organized.
1946	Ed Tyner sold the drugstore to Joe Carroll.
1947	Arden Miller started his upholstery business.
1947	Laketon American Legion Auxiliary Post 402 was organized.
1948	United Brethren Church remodeled their building.
1949	Wesleyan Methodist Church was heavily damaged by fire.
1950	Post office moved into its own building.
1950	Arlie Henry sold to Albert Sims.
1950	D&M Machine Shop opened.
1951	Laketon Lion's Club was organized.
1951	Laketon covered bridge closed for repair.
1955	Joe West closed his store due to health and age.
1956	Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sims closed the grocery store due to the supermarkets.
1956	The covered bridge was removed and replaced by a concrete bridge.
1956	Mr. Sol Bronstein bought the Buckeye Pumping Station.
1956	Waltz Construction company came to Laketon.
1957	Pierceton Trucking Company moved to Laketon.
1958	The second addition to the school building.
1959	Last school alumni gathering held.
1960	Laketon started their fight to keep the high school.
1960	Albert Sims Printing Shop opened.
1961	Robert Cook killed his mother, Mary Cook.
1962	Last year Laketon had a high school and the last graduation.
1963	Alford's Implement Sales came to Laketon.
1963	Last barber shop was closed.
1964	Dr. La Salle bought Overmyers Egg house.
1968	Sunrise Dairies closed.
1968	Arden Miller reopened his upholstery business.
1969	Laketon Elevator has a very costly fire.
1969	Laketon Elevator closed.
1972	Last grocery store was closed by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pence.
1972	John Moyer closed the Laketon Nursery and sold it.
1972	Poston's Pantry opened.
1972	Calf Start Inc. was started.
1973	Allen Blocher moved his trucking business to Laketon.
1973	Voris Sign business came to Laketon
1974	Calf Start Inc. moved from the elevator to present site.
1975	Harvey's Bait house opened.
1976	Price's Body Shop opened.
1976	Laketon was 140 years old.