Historic Treasure of the Week - November 3, 1991
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - November 3, 1991
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Dobbs family farm becomes park legacy
This week’s historical treasure is a picture of Sarah Scott (Bell) Dobbs. Her family played quite a role in Terre Haute’s history.
Sarah was born in 1851 and was named after her mother, Sarah (Scott) Bell. She came to Terre Haute from Utica, N.Y., when she was only 2 years old. Her family traveled on the old Wabash and Eric Canal and landed at Second and Cherry Streets.
Mr. and Mrs. Bell had two other children: Oswald D. Bell and Mary Jane (Bell) Travioli. The family attended the First Baptist Church where Sarah met her future husband as they sang in the choir.
In 1870, Sarah became the wife of John G. Dobbs. John and Sarah had two children: a son, Clair D. and a daughter Effie Frances.
Sarah died Oct. 23, 1902. Clair died around 1940 and Effie became totally blind at about the same time.
Effie Frances Dobbs, along with her cousin, Mary (Hollis) Call, donated a 105-acre farm to the city of Terre Haute as a memorial to Miss Dobbs’ father, John G. Dobbs. Their donation became Dobbs Park, which enjoyed today by local citizens.
The picture of Sarah Scott (Bell) Dobbs was given to the Vigo County Historical Society by Martha Hollis Call, a cousin of the late Effie Dobbs.
The picture is featured in the Dressmaker’s Shop at the museum.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.