Irvington Had a Passenger Depot For 48 Years

      When Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson founded the new town of Irvington in 1870, they envisioned a passenger depot along the Panhandle (later Pennsylvania Railroad) to make it easier for homeowners and business folks to invest and live in the new community. That dream came to fruition in September of 1874 with the construction of the first station on what is now known as the northeast corner of Bonna Avenue and South Audubon Road. Edwin Williams served as the first agent for the brick depot. In the winter of 1882, town officials added a rear room complete with a pump for cold water. 

      Paul Diebold in his book Greater Irvington asserts that the station became the unofficial town hall and meeting place for the community during the early years. For a brief time, residents could receive their mail at the depot until 1885. They also voted in elections here. George Russell, a realtor and postmaster, operated the telegraph for the neighborhood and often on election nights, local citizens gathered in the building to learn of the results. 

      The station also became very important for Butler University college students, who traveled here from all over the state every September. A newspaper account in the Indianapolis News on September 13, 1892, documented the moments that Butler students arrived that year. The reporter noted that the first young people came with their books and trunks and stashed the items on the platform. They continued to arrive on various trains through the "dreary" day. Some made it in time to attend chapel. Classes didn't start for three days so they had time to settle in at their boarding houses or perhaps at the dorm. Anxious freshmen arrived with excited seniors to start or conclude chapters of their lives. The story at the depot repeated in May. 

     In 1922, officials announced that the little depot at Irvington would be closed and demolished. There was no need for it as there were now several streetcar lines servicing the area. After the demolition, contractors from the Pennsylvania Railroad erected a small shed on the site. By 1970 that structure had also been removed and the land was sold to Everett and Una Brown, who built a house on the narrow strip of land. The site of the former Pennsylvania Railroad was later converted into the Pennsy Trail. 

Citizens walked along the wooden platform in front of the Irvington Depot c1890. The brick structure served the community from 1874 until 1922. (courtesy of the Ron Huggler Collection, Irvington Historical Society)

The Irvington Passenger Depot formerly sat on the northeast corner of Bonna Avenue and South Audubon Road. (Map of Irvington, 1889, Irvington Historical Society)

The Irvington Depot Reprint (Indianapolis News, April 5, 1993, p.19)

A freight train steamed through Irvington during the winter of 1951. The Pennsylvania Railroad had a double track. To the right of the train you can see the shed that replaced the original depot. The most visible home in the photo is that of 5727 Bonna Avenue. The Gustin family lived in the house at the time that this photo was snapped. (photo courtesy of Martin Biemer of Classic Trains newsletter at trains.com)

Everett and Una Brown built this home at 135 South Audubon Road on the site of the former Irvington Depot in 1970. (photo snapped by Bill Gulde on June 18, 2023)

      I wish to thank Ron Huggler who documented much of the history needed for this post. His purchase of the top photo prompted him to build a diorama of the intersection of Bonna Avenue and South Audubon Road. You can see his creation at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center at 5350 E. University Avenue on the weekends from 1-4. 

Sources: Construction--"City News," Indianapolis News, September 3, 1874, p. 3; Enlargement--"City News, Indianapolis News, January 20, 1882, p. 4 and "City and Wayne Co.," Richmond Independent Telegram (IN), September 3, 1882, p. 3; Edwin Williams--"City News," Indianapolis News, April 28, 1874, p. 3; Election Site--"Warren Township Primary," Indianapolis Journal, May 12, 1898, p. 5; Election results via telegraph--Indianapolis News, October 13, 1903, p. 4; General articles--Grace Julian Clarke, "Irvington to Lose Station Built by Early Settlers," Indianapolis Star, May 5, 1922, p. 7; Paul Diebold, Greater Irvington II: Architecture, People, and Place on the Indianapolis Eastside, Indianapolis, 2020, pp. 206-207. 

Downey Avenue Christian Church Founded 150 Years Ago

      On September 19, 1875, 40 people gathered for the very first formal religious service conducted in the new town of Irvington. With just a smattering of houses scattered here and there, the community welcomed what would be known as Butler University in 1875. Ovid Butler, the founder of the college, associated the university with the Disciples of Christ, a denomination founded in the United States in the early nineteenth century. The new administration building on campus had a chapel and it was in that room that the Disciples worshipped and prayed for 18 years. Most of the members came from the college, but services were open to all. Butler students were required to attend during those early years.

     The weather on that Sunday in 1875 turned cooler and into the 40s so Professor John O. Hopkins recommended that the congregants move into his classroom where it was warmer. He also preached the first sermon. Later that year, the church welcomed 87 charter members. Nearby, many local residents gathered at Pleasant Run Creek for baptisms. An Indianapolis News article in 1879 reported that the church baptized 30 new members in the icy stream. As both the town and the college grew, the Disciples needed a larger space. That dream became a reality in 1893 with the dedication of a new brick church located at 111 South Downey Avenue. 

The chapel in the Administration Building (Butler Hall) served as the first space for members of the Disciples of Christ in Irvington to worship. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

The Brick Church (1893-1952)

     On September 5, 1892, church members broke ground at 111 South Downey Avenue for their first sanctuary away from the Butler campus. Designed by William F. Sharpe of Crawfordsville, Indiana, and erected by J.H. Jameson, the brick structure had several gables and a bell tower. At the dedication ceremony on April 9, 1893, congregants sat on carved oak pews and heard a sermon by the Reverend Carey E. Morgan, a Butler University graduate. Many of his former teachers sat in the pews before him.   

     Participation in the church swelled with the new facility. In 1914, the board added an education building just south of the church. The arrival of the Christian Board of Missions nearby also increased membership as many employees attended services at Downey Avenue Christian Church. Sunday schools, Boy Scout troops, and Camp Fire Girls increased the participation of younger Irvington residents in the church. 

     With the church population rising and repairs needed on the 59-year-old structure, the board of directors made the surprising decision to tear down the brick structure for a modern stone edifice.  There is no evidence that church members disapproved of this decision although it was likely that a few might have mourned the loss of the pretty church. 

       

Sketch in the Indianapolis News, February 24, 1892, p. 6

View of Downey Avenue Christian Church from South Downey Avenue looking north towards Julian and Downey Avenues in 1952 (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1952 from Julian Avenue; You will note the Education Building was  just south of the structure. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Members of the Downey Avenue Christian Church at 111 South Downey Avenue could enter through doors on Julian or Downey Avenues. This photo was likely taken in 1952. Frederick William (Bill) Wiegmann served as the minister. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Easter services in 1952 served as the final time that Downey Avenue Christian Church members attended worship in the brick church. The structure was razed shortly after this service. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Members of a Sunday School program posed for this photograph in 1934 at the Downey Avenue Christian Church at 111 South Downey Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The Stone Church (1953--?)

     After the board decided to build a new church building, they hired Edward J. Clark to design the new structure. The architect had designed numerous churches in Indiana including the nearby Linwood Avenue Christian Church at 4424 East Michigan Street. The new church, a "modified" Gothic, was to be clad in limestone from southern Indiana. With a seating capacity for 475 people in the main hall, Clark also added room for 375 additional people in "Fellowship Hall." He included a youth chapel, rumpus rooms, and parlors. The cost came in at $250,000. 

     On a snowy Sunday morning on December 14, 1952, hundreds of church members gathered on the site for the cornerstone laying. Paul F. Brown, the board president, presided while Frederick W. Wiegmann and other dignitaries offered prayers and words. Ida Lamberson Russell, who had the distinction of being present at the 1893 dedication, "helped" to put the stone in place. Also assisting was Hilton U. Brown, the venerable publisher of the Indianapolis News. Both of them had witnessed Irvington grow from a small village into a thriving neighborhood. Several members placed items into the cornerstone box. John D.  Bruckman added a bible. Other items included an invitation to the 1893 dedication, a ceremonial shovel used to break ground, and various church programs. 

     The sanctuary opened in 1953 and for 72 years, the structure has been part of the neighborhood. In 2005, the congregation had a shock when an arsonist attempted to damage the building. Quick work by the fire department saved the structure allowing the congregation to restore the church. The Downey Avenue Christian Church is the oldest denomination within the boundaries of Irvington followed by the Irvington Methodist Church and First Baptist Church. On December 7, 2025, the congregation will be hosting a special service celebrating 150 years in operation with a reception afterwards. 

Frederick William Wiegmann, Francis W. Payne, and Paul F. Brown placed the ceremonial box into the cornerstone on December 14, 1952. We do not know the name of the boy in the photo so if you recognize him, let us know! Behind the crowd, you can see the Creighton Apartments located on the northwest corner of Julian and Downey Avenues. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

On December 14, 1952, Downey Avenue Christian Church members gathered to lay the cornerstone of their new church. Beyond the group you can see the former Scot Butler home at 124 South Downey Avenue. In 1952, the house served as the American Legion Post No. 38. To the north of that house you can see the side of 5339 Julian Avenue. That home along with the Butler residence and another house at 5319 Julian Ave were torn down to make way for the new mid-century Board of Church Extension structure. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

On December 14, 1952, Downey Avenue Christian Church members filed past their new building under construction. Behind the beams, you can see the former educational building that had served the church since 1914. It was later razed for a new fellowship hall. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Workers placed beams into position for the new Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1952. Behind the crew you can see the Creighton Apartments and homes along both Julian and Downey Avenues. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Workers for E. B. Ball finished the new Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1953. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Associate Minister Enos Nelson preached to a packed congregation at the Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1953. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Teens gathered for a Friday night dance in Fellowship Hall adjacent to the church c1955 (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The board added a new education wing to the church in 1962. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The congregation added beautiful stained glass windows to the sanctuary in 1975 in honor of the centennial of the church. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse) 

     I wish to thank Don Rouse for his generosity in loaning me photos for this post, and for providing key historical information.

Sources: George Earle Owen,  A Century of Witness: A History of the Downey Avenue Christian Church, 1875-1975, Indianapolis, 1975; Early Years--"City News," March 31, 1879, 4; Brick Church--"A New Church in Irvington," Indianapolis News, September 5, 1892, p. 2; "Irvington's New Church," Indianapolis News, December 24, 1892, 6; "New House of Worship," Indianapolis Journal, April 10, 1893, 3; "Irvington Church Dedicated," Indianapolis News, April 10, 1893, p. 6; Stone Church--"Downey Avenue to Break Ground," Indianapolis News, May 3, 1952, 4; "Downey Avenue to Lay Stone," Indianapolis News, December 13, 1952, 3; "New Irvington Church Ceremony to be Tomorrow," Indianapolis Star, December 13, 1952, 12; "Downey Avenue Congregation to Dedicate New Edifice," Indianapolis Star, October 31, 1953, 10; Architect--"Edward J. Clark Dies: Designed Many Churches," Indianapolis Star, January 29, 1965, 9. 

Irvington Plaza Held Grand Opening in 1955

     On May 11, 1955, local east-side residents flooded into the newly-built Irvington Plaza. Built on 22 acres of land just east of Irvington, the strip mall with its 17 shops offered just about any product one could need. Neighbors could buy their groceries at the Atlas Supermarket or at Kroger's. Schiff's and Marott's offered a variety of shoes while Jack and Mack's Men's Shop sold suits and ties. Would-be engaged couples could try on a ring at National Jewelry Co. Fran's Tot Shop sold items for children. Neighbors could drop off their clothes at Progress Laundry and Dry Cleaning and then buy some new bedding at Dayan's Linen Store. Hardware or other products needed for the home could be found at Atlas Department Store or at Haugh's Hardware. Prescriptions could be picked up at Haag's Drug Store. Residents who were not in the mood to cook could dine at the Flamingo Restaurant or pick up some pastries at Omar's Bakery. 

     For added convenience, the Irvington Plaza Corporation headed by C.B. Durham provided 1600 parking spots.  Drivers could use the "cruise lane" next to the mall to window shop from their cars. A roof over the wide sidewalks helped to keep patrons dry on rainy days as they walked from shop to shop. The entire venture cost 3.5 million dollars. The corporation planned to build additional strip malls on the south and west side of the property. Of course, this large development along with another at the nearby Eastgate Shopping Mall spelled doom for many Irvington merchants, who couldn't offer the parking spaces nor the volume of product. 

     Each night from May 11 until May 14, 1955, merchants kept their doors open late so that locals could square dance from 7PM until 11PM. Shorty Shehan, Lula Belle, Curly Myers, and Charlie Gore called for dancers to "grab their partner and dosey doe."  During the day, eastsiders could enter contests for various drawings. Some lucky folks won a $1000 carat-and-half diamond ring, a mink stole, a bicycle, and even a refrigerator. As exciting as it must have been seen at the time, the concept of a mall clearly has a lifespan. The plaza in 2025 is a shell of what Mr. Durham and others envisioned for the community. 

Postcard of the Irvington Plaza in 1955 (Irvington Historical Society)

The vast parking lot offered community members a chance to ride on a commuter bus from the Irvington Plaza to downtown. (Irvington Historical Society)

The Irvington Plaza Corporation developed the eastern part of the property in 1955. Later they added several stores in the southern and western sections. (Indianapolis Star,  November 18, 1954, p. 44)

An ad for the new Irvington Plaza (Indianapolis News, May 18, 1955, p. 22)

Lula Belle, Curly Myers, Shorty Shehan, and Charlie Gore were so popular that the merchants at Irvington Plaza offered a second week of square dancing. (Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955, p. 21)

Sources: "Irvington Plaza Jubilee Has Gala Opening," Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955; "!50,000 Live in Shop Area," Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955. 

Clapp Family Operated an Irvington Grocery Store For 50 Years

     For nearly fifty years, Irvington residents shopped at the Clapp Brothers (also known as the Clapp Food Market) Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street. Originally from Hartsville, Indiana, siblings William C. and John P. Clapp relocated to Beech Grove, Indiana in the early twentieth century. John P. Clapp ran the Beech Grove operation while William C. Clapp moved to Irvington in 1916 and opened a store at 7 North Webster Avenue. He also bought a house at 6024 East Washington Street for himself and his wife, Ora Belle Moore Clapp, and for his children, Climpson, Leland, and Ima Clapp.  In 1924, William C. Clapp moved the store into a much larger newly-constructed building at 6044 East Washington Street. 

      Mr. Clapp ran the business for many years before turning it completely over to his son, Climpson "Pete" Clapp. The Irvington Historical Society possesses photographs, letters, ledgers, and other ephemera from the Clapp family. The operation was shuttered in 1973. The Clapps would not recognize their storefront today as it has been greatly altered over the years. 

 

Employees of the Clapp Brothers Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street posed for this snapshot on April 30, 1926. William C. Clapp is likely standing in front of the Beech Grove transport vehicle. You can also see the Adde's Pure Oil Filling Station at 6040 East Washington Street. That building still stands in 2025. The Levy family home at 6036 East Washington Street is also visible. (courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Ads for Easter products hang in the window of Clapp Brothers Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street on April 30, 1926. (courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society) 

William Clark Clapp (top center) posed with his brothers c1940. The men all hailed from Hartsville, Indiana. While we are not able to match their faces yet, Edgar, John, Calvin, and Samuel Clapp reunited for this photograph. (Irvington Historical Society) 

Interior shot of Clapps Brothers Regal Grocery Store c1934; We can narrow down the date of this image by the fact that Mr. Clapp displayed a National Recovery Act sign in his store. This New Deal agency was in operation from 1933 until it was struck down by the US Supreme Court in 1935. (Irvington Historical Society)

Store display for Thanksgiving c1934 (Irvington Historical Society)

Clapp Brothers first operated around the corner at 7 North Webster Avenue from 1916 until 1924. That building is still standing in 2025. (Irvington Historical Society)

Promotional ad for Clapp Brothers Food Market (Irvington Historical Society)

Notepad for Climpson Moore Clapp Food Market complete with the hours of operation (Irvington Historical Society)

Some of the Clapp Grocery Store records have survived including this document that shows the names of employees and their weekly salary in 1945. Omer Kehl worked as a meat cutter. Others include Eileen Bangel, Tom Carmack, and George R. Smith. (Irvington Historical Society)

Google Streetview reveals that the Clapp Brothers Market is still standing but unrecognizable in 2025. The filling station and nearby house shown in the earlier photos also still stand. (Google)

     I wish to thank the extended Clapp family who donated items to the Irvington Historical Society.

Sources:  Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1908-1973; Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; Newspaper articles: "Building Permit" (6024 East Washington St.), Indianapolis News, June 21, 1916, p. 16;  "Building Permits," (6044 East Washington St.) Indianapolis Star, January 10, 1924, p. 14; Obituaries:  "W.C. Clapp, Irvington Grocer, Is Dead," Indianapolis News, March 18, 1944, p. 9; "Mrs. Ora Clapp," Indianapolis Star, January 5, 1960, p. 21: "John Clapp, Beech Grove Civic Leader, Succumbs, Indianapolis Star, November 7, 1943, p. 13; "Climpson Clapp, 1897-1978," Indianapolis News, March 21, 1978, p. 28.

Emerson Avenue Home For Sale--1946

       The Little Flower neighborhood sits to the north and west of Irvington. Many of the homes in the area date to the 1920s including the Cape Cod at 1314 North Emerson Avenue. Built in 1925, Adam and Anna Schaaf were the first couple to reside in the house. Mr. Schaaf, a native of Germany, worked as a tailor and later for J.D. Eastman Sunshine Cleaners. The couple also took in lodgers to cover the bills. They sold the property in 1937 to Oliver and Etta Nesbit. He worked as an electrician for the city fire department. Mrs. Nesbit served as a saleswoman for the L.S. Ayres Department Store.The 1940 Federal Census indicates that the Nesbits also took in lodgers. Abe and Ruth Martin leased two second-story rooms from the Nesbits. Then in 1942, Mr. Nesbit died at the age 55. Mrs. Nesbitt continued to live on in the house and she still leased rooms, but by 1946 she decided to sell. 

     In the late autumn of 1946, Etta Nesbit, switched real estate agents and placed her home at 1314 North Emerson Avenue back on the market. According to newspaper ads, the widow had tried to sell the house earlier in the summer. The sign in front of the picket fence in the photo advertised Jack C. Carr, realtor. He ran ads about the house in November of 1946 and that matches the leafless trees in the photograph. His various ads touted the beautiful landscaping, an imported Czechoslovakian chandelier in the dining room, a "sparkling" glass tile fireplace complete with a mirror above it in the living room, a recreation room, and a light and "airy" basement. 

     A photographer with the last name of Lacey snapped the photo for Carr Realty. The image was recently unearthed on EBAY. The century-old home still stands today. 

1314 North Emerson Avenue in 1946

Sources:  1940 Federal Census; Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1925-1947; Obituary for Adam Schaaf--Indianapolis News, June 25, 1942, p. 22; Obituary for Anna Schaaf--Indianapolis Star, May 21, 1956, p. 14; Obituary for Oliver Nesbitt--Indianapolis Star, June 1, 1942; Obituary for Etta Nesbitt--Indianapolis News, October 20, 1961, p. 24.

South Ritter Avenue in the Late 1970s

   Jimmy Carter was President of the United States and Otis Bowen was the Governor of Indiana. Disco dominated the airwaves in the late 1970s in Indianapolis. With cable TV still on the horizon, Hoosiers consumed TV shows like The Jeffersons, Happy Days, M.A.S.H, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Saturday Night Live on five or six channels on their TVs. 

     Living at 128 South Ritter Avenue, teen-aged Doreen McGuire, the daughter of James and Ann McGuire, grabbed her camera and photographed her friends and family. Her collection of snapshots evoke an era and documents a small section of historic Irvington. Her images are now nearly 50 years old. Below is just a small sample from her scrapbooks. Her photos remind us that we need to save photos from this era of our lives. Doreen has done a good job of identifying individuals on the back of the snapshots and you should too!    

Doug McKain, Pete Boulais, Dave Arnold, and Phil Keough played basketball in the backyard of the McGuire home at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1979. All of the young men lived nearby. Behind the kids, you can see the historic barn built for the Goe family in 1890. The large structure had been converted into a garage most likely by the Leamon family who lived in the house from 1957-1967. (photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

Before the invention of drones or the creation of Google Earth, there were trees. Doreen McGuire climbed this tall tulip poplar in her backyard and snapped the rear of her home at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1977. (Photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

In one of her earlier images, young Doreen snapped a photo of a friend. Of course, without the ability to zoom in, she inadvertently documented houses across the street c1975. The double at 131-33 and the home at 139 South Ritter Ave are the most visible. The young boy in the photo is most likely a Boulais family member, who resided at 130 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

With a better camera Doreen McGuire stood on her front porch and snapped an image of 111, 115, 127, and 129 South Ritter Avenue in 1979. Mid-twentieth century residents of Irvington were practical people and clad many of the beautiful residences with aluminum siding. Three of the four homes in this photo have now been restored to their original early twentieth century look without the aluminum siding. (photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw) 

Ann McGuire, known as "Mrs. McGuire" to her students, taught at IPS #37 for many years. Her daughter Doreen captured her Mom relaxing on their long couch at 128 South Ritter Avenue in December of 1980. I had the privilege of meeting Ann McGuire (later Ann Brown), and she loaned me some incredible photos from her childhood along St. Clair Street. You can see those images by clicking on the "Schmidt" link below. (photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

Doreen McGuire, our young photographer, posed in her dining room at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1976 or 1977. Behind her you can see the buffet and a Naugahyde chair given to them by a family friend, Dr. Harold Fahrbach, an optometrist. He knew Dr. Schmidt, a fellow optometrist, and the father of Ann McGuire. On the dining room table you can see the equipment that Doreen needed for her photojournalism class at Howe High School. (photo courtesy of Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

     I wish to thank Doreen McGuire Crenshaw for these images and for her incredible kindness and support over the years. 

Goe Family Photos Show Neighboring Houses on South Ritter Avenue

      Often, when searching for historic photos of a house, we try to find descendants of various homeowners, but sometimes you can also find wonderful images from those who lived nearby or across the street. The Goe family, who lived at 128 South Ritter Avenue from 1890 until 1957, snapped images of various family members or friends on their property. Behind the subjects, we can see several homes along South Ritter Avenue. 

107, 111, 115, 127, 129, and 131-33 South Ritter Avenue

Marjorie Tretton visited the Goe family c1930. Behind her, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Farnsworth Goe posed in her front yard c1935. Behind her, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Grace Goe posed on a snowy day c1930. Behind her you can see 127, 129, and part of the double located at 131-33 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard and Cornelia Kingsbury, the grandchildren of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe, posed on a snowy day in the front yard of the Goe residence at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1928. Behind the kids, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard and Cornelia Kingsbury posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1935. Behind the siblings you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. If you look closely, you can also see the rear of 120 South Johnson Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Kingsbury posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1935. Behind her, you can see the homes located at 107, 111, and 115 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Kingsbury posed on a snowy day c1930. You can see the neighbor's house at 130 South Ritter Avenue along with the homes across the street located at 129, 131, and 133-35 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Hezekiah and Cornelia Farnsworth Goe posed next to their home at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1911. Behind the couple, you can see 127, 129, and 131 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

106, 108, and 114 South Ritter Avenue

Hezekiah Goe stood in profile in front of his house at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1905. Behind him you can see the residence located at 106 South Ritter Avenue. You will note that 108 and 114 South Ritter Avenue had not yet been built. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Three girls posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1926. Behind the kids you can see the facades of 108 and 114 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Theodore Kingsbury (center) spoke with his children, Richard (left) and Cornelia (right) c1926 in front of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue. Behind the family, you can see 114 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

          I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for their kindness in loaning me these incredible images. I also wish to thank the entire Kingsbury family for their stories and generosity with this series of photos. It has been a pleasure working with all of them.