Who WAS Who Back in the Day

Gayle Faulkner Kosalko December 2021

Today Whiting is known for such important “people” as Mr. Pierogi and Miss Paczki but back during its Golden Jubilee, there were other names of prominence mentioned. I’ve been told that at one time there were more Ph.D.’s per capita here than anywhere else, thanks to the research departments of a burgeoning Standard Oil Company. In the Golden Jubilee issue of “The Whiting Times” in 1939, a “Who’s Who” of the city is listed. But now, 82 years later, I don’t believe that most of their names don’t ring a bell with any of us. So it’s time to see Who WAS Who back then.

One of the first names mentioned was Emil Pekarek who came here in 1912 to work as a pharmacist and soon became owner of Central Drug Store, a drug store that became a Whiting staple forever. Pekarek was the oldest practicing pharmacist in the city at that time. At that time Whiting could also boast of Lake County’s longest practicing physician with Dr. A. J. Lauer.

Born in 1871, after graduating from Bennet Medical School of Chicago, Lauer established his practice here in 1893. And it was here in the 1890’s that a typhoid fever epidemic broke out. It was blamed on Whiting contaminated water.. For the next decade typhoid was the cause for 5% of the city’s deaths.

E. P. Shaeffer arrived in 1915 as a chemist with a Ph. D. from Johns Hopkins. He eventually became manager of the refinery. Max G. Paulus, also a research chemist with a Ph. D. from Johns Hopkins came here to work for Standard Oil. It was here in Whiting that both Shaeffer and Paulus met their lovely and future brides Florence Frye and Marian Beaubien, both young women from prominent Whiting families.

While the majority of “Who’s Who” listed were men in the community, one lady took her place in the list. Viola Williams was as an associate editor of the newspaper, holding a degree in Journalism from Butler University. There’s still a touch of machismo though in her mini biography in “Who’s Who.” It was obviously written by one of her male cohorts. Quoting “The Whiting Times,” “She (Viola) arrived in this man’s town in May of 1939 and is still a good catch for some worthy male, although she professes to be wedded to her career.”

One of my favorite Whiting tidbits is about H.P. Davidson who was editor of “The Whiting News” at the turn of the century. A railroad strike caused the suspension of service on the Lake Shore and Ft. Wayne roads which kept newspapers, meat and provisions from entering Whiting. Ever inventive and finding his way out of a “sticky” situation, Davidson printed his July 6 issue of 1894 on the reverse side of rolls of wallpaper that were available.

Davidson’s wallpaper edition caused statewide comment when the county postmaster handed our various patterns of wall paper along his regular route. I think there might still be a copy of that issue at the Whiting Library.

Many of the names of the “Who’s Who” of 82 years ago still have family living in the community. Soon the next group of “Who’s Who” would be men who were actually born in Whiting and Robertsdale.

And while these men have gained a place in the history of the city, I really can’t help but wonder…was pretty Viola Williams eventually caught by a worthy Whitingite?

Tony Borgo did some additional research in regards to Viola’s relationship status. She was born in Franklin, Indiana on December 5, 1915. Viola Williams married Charles Albert Van Loo on January 29, 1944. Charles Albert Van Loo was two years younger than Viola and was from Wisconsin. He was employed by the Brookville public schools in Franklin, Indiana. Viola died on June 21, 1987 in Franklin, Indiana. Charles passed away on May 7, 1963. While in Whiting Viola lived at 1825 Sheridan Avenue.