Bippus (Ghost Town - Sort of)

Bippus was originally called West Point after the train station on the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad (later the Erie Railroad) which ran through town. (It was the westernmost point you could travel in the county before getting into the swamp as well as most western location on a circuit of singing schools – see p153 of the 1914 History for information on the schools.) It had 55 lots when platted in 1885. When they applied for a post office, the name West Point was taken, so they changed it to honor George Jacob Bippus who was instrumental in bringing the railroad to the community.

“In its heyday, Bippus had three groceries, a milliner’s shop, two drugstores, a shoe cobbler, tin ship, creamery, livery barn (now the post office), harness shop, ice house, Blacksmith, feed mill and elevator, barber shop and the Bippus Bank, one of few that did not close during the Great Depression. [It also had its own telephone company.] …

Bippus also claims the possible distinction of the first Safety Patrol in the nation. It was started by Seth Michael, station agent for the Erie, and provide for an older student, John R. Michael in this case, to escort the younger school children safely over the tracks.

This followed a near accident at the crossing. John R. Michael went on to become a director for the Interstate Commerce Division in Washington, DC.”

The Bippus State Bank was begun here in 1911 and had a presence until 2006. (Its headquarters is now in Huntington.) The bank started in the building on the southeast corner of the main intersection. It moved across the street to the southwest corner in the 1973. In front of this currently vacant building there is a memorial to the former high schools in Bippus. The first high school opened in 1898 on the east end of town. It operated until a newer school was built in 1916. The new school had a unique feature – the gymnasium was in the basement! Besides the low ceilings, players had to dodge support pillars (which were wrapped in padding). This gym was mostly used for practice, but some early games were played there. A formal gymnasium was added in 1928. The district schools were gradually closed after the 1916 building opened on the north end of town. By 1923 all the district schools were closed and all students in the township attended K-12 in the building which continued to serve until 1958 when it became a K-8 building and high schoolers were sent to Clear Creek and then in 1967 to the county’s consolidated Huntington North High School.

Chris Schenkel was born here in 1923 and is buried at St. John’s Cemetery just out the west side of town off 800 N. After serving his country in WWII and Korea, Chris spent six decades broadcasting live sports events. In that capacity he was the first to broadcast golf’s Masters Tournament, call a college football game coast-to-coast, and be a live sports anchor for the Olympics (Mexico City). During these broadcasts he would occasionally say “You bet your sweet Bippy.” We believe that phrase developed in reference to his hometown of which he was immensely proud (despite what origins various websites give the phrase).

1. Ghost Towns of Huntington County. 1971. Doris Chambers, p32-41
2. History of Huntington County, Indiana. 1887. Chicago: Brant & Fuller, p862-3
3. History of Huntington County, Indiana: A Narrative Account. 1914. Frank Sumner Bash. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., p153-4.
4. Ancestry.com. U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, 2010. Original data: Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28. Washington, D.C.: National Archives
5. “Bippus State Bank celebrating 100 years.” The Tab, 20 Jan 2011.
6. FindAGrave Memorial # 11731400 for Chris Schenkel. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11731400/chris-schenkel. Accessed 27 May 2021.