CRUZIN’ FINALLY has a picture of the Jones Hotel. It was not in the article on Lake Wawasee Hotels that ran in the Nov. 24 issue of The Mail-Journal because there wasn’t a photo available. With this addition, eight hotels and photos have been published. Loren Shaum, author of “Seasons in Lake Country,” a new cookbook and memoir that will be out in mid-March, had one which he willingly shared. Here it is above. The Jones Hotel was the first major hotel on what was then known as Turkey Lake. It was located just east of Willow Grove. The lot it sat on is directly at the south end of Warner Road on the lake. The Joneses had seen the potential in the area because he was a mechanical engineer with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Abram M. Jones, his wife Mary Duff Jones and two sons moved to Syracuse in 1875. They later had another son and a daughter Anna. The hotel was built in 1881 and opened in September. Jones continued working for the railroad operating the pumping station. Apparently, he was an energetic man because he also ran the Syracuse grain elevator. He was a Civil War veteran serving with the 2nd Ohio Calvary. Mansfield, Ohio, was his hometown.

According to Eli Lilly in his book, “Early Wawasee Days,” the hotel was a success from the beginning. Let’s let Lilly tell this story in his hilarious style: “The time and place called for none of the rose-water benefits, but the rooms were comfortable and the good food was consumed by the guests with the relish of cannibals dining off a plump enemy. It has been said that now and then some of them would turn pale with desire when inhaling the fragrance of the dishes as the covers were lifted. Calories had not then been invented.”

Jones also purchased a tug boat in Chicago and brought it by rail and launched it off the railway bridge between Syracuse and Wawasee lakes. He cut the boat in two and added a center section and named it the Anna Jones in honor of his daughter. There was a second and larger boat of the same name reputed to be the largest steamer ever on Wawasee. Many boats were built in the barn by the Jones Hotel. It could be considered the birthplace of sailboating on the lake. The area was known as Jones Landing. The hotel was sold in 1920 to M.E. Crow, Elkhart. The couple are buried in the Syracuse Cemetery as is their son Jim. Another son was Wilmot, a dairy farmer. The hotel was converted into a private home last owned by the late Mike Umbaugh. It was sold and torn down for a new house five or six years ago. Thanks for the information and Cruzin’ will let readers know when and where to find the first of Shaum’s three books, which should all be out by the end of the year.

Although the air temperature was in the 40s, standing on the ice on Syracuse Lake sent a chill through the crowd gathered for the Wawasee Kiwanis Winter Carnival Saturday. However, the ankle-deep water on top of about 8 inches of the frozen stuff didn't seem to give anyone pause as large crowds were there throughout the day for radar runs, kiddy-kat races and the always popular drag races.

This was the second year for the revived event. A change in climate patterns had stopped the Winter Carnival dead in its tracks in 1990 much to winter sports fans disgust, so the last two colder winters have given renewed life to the carnival.

There were 43 registered snowmobile racers. The results are as follows: stock classes, 440-Randall Byrer, Etna Green; 500-tie between Josh Kenny, Middlebury and Randall Byrer, Etna Green; 600-Bill Heyde, Bremen; 700-Doug Kast, Fort Wayne; 800-Taylor Slocum, Syracuse; 900-Paul Burkhardt, Edon, Ohio; 1000-Slocum and open-Slocum; improved classes, 700-Ken Huston, New Carlisle; 800-John Michael, Shipshewana and 1000-Slocum, Syracuse; modified classes, 500 John Michael, Shipshewana; 800-Michael; 1000-Michael and open-Marshall Messmon, Rome City.

Winners in the kitty kat-snow scoot classes were: Noah Whitridge, Syracuse; Amelia Dumford, Syracuse; and JT Finlinson, Syracuse.

A free dance sponsored by Lakeside Fitness and the Rinker Family Foundation concluded the Saturday activities with more than 100 attending. The band, Annabelle Road, performed at the Syracuse Community Center.

On Friday evening, Wawasee Kiwanis Club sponsored a soup supper at the Syracuse Community Center. A dozen restaurants, groups and individuals participated with a sizeable crowd enjoying unlimited soup. Winners chosen by the diners were: Just Jeans, Cromwell, portabello mushroom, restaurant; Edward Jones Financial Advisors, Syracuse, ham and bean made by Beth Kroes, group; and the individual winner was Anne Richey, Syracuse, sausage and corn chowder.

Wawasee Kiwanis will use the proceeds to assist in several local philanthropic projects and with funds for Riley Children's Hospital, Indianapolis.

ALFRESCO DINING - This group was all set for the Winter Carnival. They were particularly interested in the wind kiting. In the back is just some of the crowd watching the drag racing.