Museum Corner February 2020

On the road again, an adventure into Red Cross history

By Becky Buher, guest columnist, printed in the Times-Mail newspaper Feb. 5, 2020

Lawrence County has a unique connection in Red Cross history. That history can be experienced in a local road trip, the American Red Cross Driving Tour. Tour maps are available and identify pertinent locations—The Red Cross Office, Lawrence County Museum, Bedford City Hall, The Red Cross Farm and Cemetery, and the Red Cross Cabin. Interpretive panels or exhibits are located at each of these sites, and it is one of the historic tours Indiana Landmarks is currently highlighting. 

During the American Civil War, Clara Barton risked her life to take supplies and support to soldiers. At age 60, Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, and she led the organization for 23 years. 

The local connection came through Barton’s friendship with county residents, Dr. Joseph Gardner and his third wife, Enola Lee Gardner. Before she married Dr. Gardner, Enola Lee was Barton’s secretary and friend. In 1888, Enola Lee told Barton that she was going to marry Dr. Gardner, but she promised that she and her new husband would continue to work with Barton.  

The new Mrs. Gardner and husband, Joseph, were charter members of the Red Cross and shared a devotion to the new volunteer movement. During the Civil War, Dr. Joseph Gardner had been a surgeon for the Union regiment of the 24th Kentucky Infantry so he was well aware of the needs of people in distress.

In 1893, Joseph and Enola donated their 782-acre farm on White River to the Red Cross. They envisioned the farm as a national depot to stage emergency supplies and to create a training school for nurses. Clara Barton made numerous visits to Lawrence County and stayed at what was nationally known as the Red Cross Farm. 

Museum tour stop—On display there is a bolero given to Enola Lee Gardner by her friend, Clara Barton. A pink tag on the inside reads “Merry Christmas to Nola, 1896.” The satin-lined bolero is a loose fitting waist-length jacket open at the front. An intricate design using gold thread was couched onto the black background. Couching uses one or more threads which are laid on the fabric surface and sewn to the fabric at regular intervals. 

Another item is called the Red Cross quilt—it is a unique, hand-made red and white cotton textile created in 1917 and donated to the museum in 1937 by the estate of Nora Clara Kelly. The American Red Cross local chapter was chartered in 1917 and functioned primarily to support the men involved in World War I. 

The quilt, made with a bold design of red crosses on a white background, was created by a group of Christian women from the Fishing Creek Church Ladies Group located on Bono Road northeast of State Road 60 near Mitchell. The women pieced the top, quilted it, and embroidered onto it 230 names of church members and soldiers. Women throughout the country often stitched quilts as they endeavored to do their part at home while many of the men were away at war. 

Tour stop at Bedford City Hall—It was built in 1850 as the grand home of Michael and Elizabeth Mooney Malott.  Dr. Gardner was once married to their daughter, Elizabeth, and he inherited the house. He later married Enola Lee, and the house became their town home. They sold it to the city of Bedford in the early 1900s. 

Red Cross Farm and Cemetery—located south of White River.

Red Cross Cabin tour stop—The Gardner’s country home at the 782-acre farm near White River was destroyed by fire in 1893. Using salvaged logs from a barn and two nearby homes, they built a home and named it the Clara Barton Cabin, now known as the Red Cross Cabin. 

The cabin was saved in 1978 when local resident and artist, Maxine Hurd, feared its demise. She organized volunteers, contractors, police and firemen and moved it log by log from the farm to the Bedford North Lawrence school grounds where school children could see a real log cabin.

The cabin has once again been dismantled, moved and reassembled. This time at Spring Mill State Park where it now has a permanent, safe and publicly accessible location. Re-enactors portrayed Red Cross founder Clara Barton and Bedford residents Joseph and Enola Gardner at the 2018 dedication. 

Your local tour awaits.

 “…It is not far, it is within reach…” Walt Whitman