An 81-year-old "shirt-tail relative" living in Daleville, IN, sent me some old newspaper clippings to do with Washington Township area of Delaware Co., IN.
Included was a portion of a "Muncie Star" article for June 2, 1955, which has a nice photo of Rev. George Manley, pastor of the Gaston Methodist Church, in costume, portraying a circuit rider of 100 years ago as part of the Gaston Centennial which was to start the following Sunday. Ministers at the time Gaston was incorporated made their rounds on horseback.
In the centennial yearbook, "Through the Years," it was related that Gaston received its early name (Snagtown) due to the fact that the trees were cut a few feet above the ground and the overall picture was snags. When a road was built through the town the trees were cut down three feet from the ground and the road was built around these snags. The reason was so people could see the snags and not get caught on them. Where Gaston is, the article went on to say, was a swamp. One snag stood nearly in the middle of the street in front of Knotts and McKnights, people had to drive around it for years. It was not uncommon, however, for wagons to become "hung" up on the snags.
After a time Dr. John Philpot built a new store where the bank now stands. With the new new on the corner, Snagtown became known as New Corner. In 1885, New Corner still was a trading center with several business places in operation. The election to incorporate the city of Gaston was held Oct. 25, 1904. The vote was 103 to 73 in favor of incorporating.
The greatest celebration in the history of Gaston, prior to the event being planned for the coming week, was in 1901. It was the day the first train of the Cincinnati, Richmond and Muncie Railroad entered the town. To quench the thirst of the multitude who attended, ten livestock tanks were filled with lemonade. Sundays and holidays, thereafter, as many as 175 to 200 persons rode the afternoon trains from Gaston to Muncie.
More than 120 persons are to take part in the planned historical pageant, when Gaston turns back the years. There will be bearded men, women gowned in the style of the 1850s, foot races, pie-eating contests, 19th century pageantry, horse-pulling contetes, kangaroo courts, band concerts, talent contests, square-dancing, and there will be a centennial parade at 1:30 p.m, Saturday June 11. The pageant is being directed by Aaron and Irene Belcher, Elinor Ritchie is the chorus leader and Bessie Conner is the organist. The pageant will include 12 episodes, all part of the history of the Washington Township community. Episode one concerns the first cabin in the township located about a mile north of Wheeling and owned by William Heal. In Gaston, the first cabin was erected by Lem Shaw. After a few cabins had been built, one man started a fire lease. This was an arrangement whereby settlers could purchase hot coals to keep their fires going...
(Rest of article is missing, but you can probably get a microfilmed newspaper via your reference librarian and the free interlibrary loan program).