VanNuys, Warner and Walker Honored at Open House

The Tipton County Historical Society honored three of its own long-time members, all authors of recent books, with a reception and book-signing at the Heritage Center & Museum, 323 W. South Street, Tipton, on Saturday, April 28, 2007 from 1-00 - 3:00 P.M. Refreshments were served. 

The reception honored three Tipton county natives –

Mrs. Kathleen O'Banion VanNuys of Franklin, IN

Mr. Leon Warner of Tipton

Mr. John Walker of Tipton

Other Historical Society member-authors are Mrs. Helene Heath, author and Tipton County Historian; Virginia Chambers (books and CD); Rita Henderson (CD); Elizabeth Burton; Miss Ruth Wimer; Judy McKinney; and Richard Drake Lewis.

Kathleen VanNuys is author of The Hopewell Journey: 350 Years from Immigrant Religion to Hoosier Faith. This 514-page book, six years in the making, has over 2,000 photos of people and historic buildings, as well as maps, family histories and wills. It tells the history of the Hopewell Settlement in Johnson County, beginning with the 1651 arrival in New Amsterdam of a group of Lowlands Dutch, French Huguenots and English Settlers who had sailed from The Netherlands for religious freedom. Descendants of many of these families remained together through the next 350 years.

Many old Tipton County surnames appear in family histories in the book: Alexander, Barr, Banta, Bergen, Blackwell, Covert, Demaree, Ditmars, Good, Ferguson, Henderson, Johnson, MaCaslin, Mitchell, Poe, Small, Voorhis, Vanarsdall, and VanNuys. Go to the website www.hopewellhistory.com for information about the book and to order soft back or hardback copies. .

Leon Warner was Tipton County Historian for many years and is the retired Northern Community Schools Superintendent. He authored the 1994 Sesquicentennial play, "Born in the Woods" and other books. His newest book is Spear Points and Arrowheads, Tipton Region, a 147-page resource book with many detailed drawings, illustrations, definitions and maps all to help the reader find and identify Native American artifacts in this area.

John Walker, retired Pioneer Hi-Bred editor and retired executive director of Tipton County Foundation, released his book in 2006, Along the Way, Stories Growing Up in Small Town Rural Indiana. This 483-page book and its photos will help every Tipton County native recall with a smile the joys and lessons of growing up as Depression babies, going to war, then coming home again to a small Hoosier town.