What's New Around Town

There is a new historical marker downtown at the northwest corner of the Library at Main and Walnut Streets to recognize Nappanee's cartoonists. It is an attractive marker with the following message:

NAPPANEE CARTOONISTS

Merrill Blosser was first Nappanee

artist to gain national recognition

as a professional cartoonist. Freckles

and His Friends, his most popular

cartoon, ran from 1915 to 1973,

syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise

Association. In 1965, National

Cartoonist Society honored Blosser

on fiftieth year of Freckles and its

"wholesome entertainment."

Five other Nappanee artists became

nationally recognized cartoonists.

Henry Maust and Francis "Mike"

Parks drew newspaper editorial

cartoons; Bill Holman's best was

Smokey Stover (1935-1973); Fred Neher's

Life's Like That ran 1934-1977; Max

Gwin drew Slim and Spud for Prairie

Farmer 1955-1991. Town, training, and

careers connected these artists.

Thanks for what these Nappanee artists contributed over the past 80 years and words of appreciation to those who thought to recognize their contributions with this downtown marker.