Wintry Scenes in Irvington Through the Decades

      One of the advantages of writing this blog for twelve years, is that I have amassed a database of beautiful winter imagery connected to Irvington. So far, snow has eluded the neighborhood in late 2021, but who knows what awaits us. If heavy snows arrive in 2022, then we will probably grab our cameras and rush outside much like folks have been doing through the ages. Some of these photos have been posted before but many have not. Happy holidays and thank you to all of you who have contributed photos over the years. 

     This post is dedicated to the memory of Robert Kistner, whose image is below. I met both Mr. Kistner and his daughter Elizabeth Bodi as they were traveling down memory lane in Irvington. He grew up by the Irving Circle Park so I instantly knew which photo I wanted to post of him.  Rest in peace, Mr. Kistner. 

The Lamb family resided at 5631 University Avenue from 1937 until 1961. This photo was likely snapped c1938 on a beautiful wintry day. (photo courtesy of Lynn Smith)

The Hackleman kids, who lived at 5438 Lowell Avenue, found time to play in the snow along North Whittier Place c1910. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Florence Hackleman, who lived at 5438 Lowell Avenue, posed with the family cow near the carriage house in her backyard on a winter's day c1912. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

A giant snow mound in the backyard at 5438 Lowell Avenue provided entertainment for the Hackleman children c1910. The home most visible in the image is located at 321 Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Florence Hackleman posed near her front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue with her sled c1912 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Albert and Rita Stone resided at 317 North Ritter Avenue from 1949 until 1954. Sometime during the early 1950s they sent this Christmas card to the Richardsons of 477 North Audubon Road. The family impressively already had a television set. (photo courtesy of Donn and Carolyn Richardson)

The Richardson family lived at 477 North Audubon Road and snapped this snowy image c1950 (photo courtesy of Donn and Carolyn Richardson)

Almost like a ghostly image, the Doan residence at 47 North Irvington Avenue was clearly covered in snow c1904. (photo courtesy of Jim and Ann Brown and the Indiana Album) 

On a wintry day, the Doan sisters of 47 North Irvington Avenue posed for a photograph. Behind the girls you can see the home located at 59 North Irvington Avenue. (photo courtesy of Jim and Ann Brown) 

Anne Warner posed in her front yard at 66 Johnson Avenue in 1954. Behind her you can also see the residences located at 58 and 54 Johnson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

Wintry Scene 1954: A member of the Warner family snapped this photograph from the family home at 66 Johnson Avenue. To the left you can see the Irvington Presbyterian Church and across the street you will note the homes located in the 5600 block of Julian Avenue. (photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold) 

Robert Kistner (1934-2021) or "Bobby" as he was known in the photograph, posed for this image in his front yard at 263 South Audubon Road in 1937. Behind him you can see the Irving Circle Park. (photo courtesy of Robert Kistner and Elizabeth Bodi)

Bernard and Margaret Korbly purchased the Kendall home in 1915. They snapped this image of 425 North Audubon Road in the winter of 1920. (photo courtesy of Pat Dwyer)

Bike tracks lead to the Doran home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the winter of 1951. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

Jim Burck shoveled his driveway at 6120 East 9th Street in 1943. Behind him, you can see the Ghere family home located at 6126 East 9th Street. (photo courtesy of Christina Burck) 

John, Della, and RoseAnn O'Connor posed after a snowstorm in 1957. The O'Connors resided at 5956 Beechwood Avenue. Behind the family you can see the bungalows located at 5952 and 5948 Beechwood Avenue. (photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

Dr. John H. Booth and his son, George, listened to the radio in their home at 280 South Downey Avenue c1935. (photo courtesy of Mac Fife)

Dr. Clifton and Bonnie Applegate Donnell resided at 82 North Hawthorne Lane when this photo was snapped by a member of the Caldwell family in 1943.  (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

The Schmidt home at 5702 Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive on a snowy day in 1938. The home was later renumbered as 5701 East St. Clair Street. (photo courtesy of Ann Schmidt Brown and Doreen McGuire Crenshaw) 

Time to sled! Dr. Henry Schmidt posed next to Beverly Spencer and Ann Schmidt on a winter day in 1938. The Schmidts resided at 5702 Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive and had a perfect hill for sledding. (photo courtesy of Ann Schmidt Brown and Doreen McGuire Crenshaw)

  Thank you to all who have contributed over the years! More vintage photos will be forthcoming. 

Daily Life at Pleasant Run Home

The Doran children, who used to live at 737 North Campbell Avenue, suddenly had plenty of room in which to play or work on cars after they moved into 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran commissioned a local architect, Orlando Little, to design their new home on the parkway in 1949. It was completed in the summer of 1950. In the images below, Jim and Phil Doran and a friend named Dick Foley can be seen working on Jim's 1937 Opel in 1954. In a stunning color slide photograph, a very young Miriam Doran, enjoyed a day out on her bike in front of the family home in 1951.

Jim Doran and Dick Foley worked on the engine of his 1954 Opel while Phil Doran assisted with the ignition next to the family garage at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

Backyard Scene: Jim and Phil Doran and Dick Foley worked on a 1937 Opel on the driveway at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1954. What Hoosier driveway would be complete without a basketball goalpost and net? (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

Miriam Doran enjoys a day out on her bike in 1951 in front of the family home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway was built for the Doran family in 1950. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

I wish to thank Miriam Lash, Jennifer Lash, Susan Boyle, Jim Doran, Alicia Schwering, and Kevin Yamafuji for making this post possible. 

Construction Photos of Pleasant Run Parkway Home

Throughout the summer of 1950, construction workers busily erected a brand new home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive for the Doran family. Incredible photographs still exist of the house under construction in the family's collection. Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran commissioned architect Orlando Little to assist them with the design. The plan is based upon a builder's catalog design called "The Collingwood." Mr. Little modified the design for his clients. The images show the house under various phases of construction and family members can be seen excitedly examining their new environment.

Miriam Doran stood in her new front yard at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950.
(photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

Julia Cooper Doran stood in her future home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950 while her daughter, Miriam, posed next to the bricks that would be used for the exterior of the residence. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive under construction in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

Taking Shape: Children dashed about the new house under construction at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

An unidentified construction worker examined plans in the new living room at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

The tub had been installed at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

The home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway Drive is a modified version of the "The Collingwood"

Notice the bike tracks in the snow in this artistic shot of 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive taken in the winter of 1951 by the Doran family. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

A special thanks to the following people for making this post possible: Miriam Lash, James Doran, Jennifer Lash, Susan Boyle, and Kevin Yamafuji. 

Orlando Little Designed Irvington Home

Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran had been living in Irvington since their marriage in 1934. They resided along both Burgess and Campbell Avenues. As their family grew, the couple knew that they wanted a bigger house. In the 1940s, the Dorans lived in a small two-bedroom house at 737 North Campbell Avenue with three small children. Mr. Doran earned a comfortable salary as a chemist for the Eli Lilly Company so they had options. After World War II ended, veterans flooded home and houses were hard to find. Many folks began to build ranch houses in new subdivisions in the far parts of the county, but the Dorans were not interested in leaving Irvington. By the late 1940s, there were few available lots in Irvington, but around the corner from their home they noticed an old apple orchard on a single lot in the 5700 block of Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive and purchased it.

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 2019 (photo courtesy of Alicia Schwering) 

Sometime in 1949, the Dorans commissioned an architect named Orlando B. Little to design their new home. Miriam Doran Lash, the daughter of Wilbur and Julia Doran, remembers sitting in Mr. Little's office and playing with the model of the house that he had prepared for the family. While more research is needed on this interesting architect, it is known that some of his religious and state-owned structures are still around today. In the 1920s, he designed the barracks for the Indiana Boys School in Plainfield. In 1931, he received the commission to draw up the plans for structures at the Indiana School for the Feeble Minded in Butlerville, Indiana. It is also known that he designed the West Michigan Methodist Episcopal Church at 2132 West Michigan Street in 1924 and the Ray Street Nazarene Church at 1242 West Ray Street in 1952 in Indianapolis.

Orlando B. Little, an architect, designed 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo Indianapolis News, January 21, 1958, 9)

Orlando B. Little designed the West Michigan Street Methodist Episcopal Church in 1924. It still stands at 2132 West Michigan Street in Indianapolis in 2019. 

Orlando B. Little also designed the Ray Street Nazarene Church in 1952. It still stands at 1242 West Ray Street in Indianapolis in 2019. 

Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran purchased this lot at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1949. They hired Orlando B. Little to design a home for them on the site. (historic photo courtesy of Miriam Lash, Jennifer Lash, and Alicia Schwering) 

In the autumn of 1950, the Dorans moved into their brand new house at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. The two-story brick home was ample for their family. With a long living room with a fireplace in the middle of it, the Dorans would have plenty of room to host gatherings in their residence. Mrs. Doran was very active in various clubs and associations and held several meetings in her home. For instance, on February 4, 1952, she invited the local chapter of the American Association of University Women to gather in her home. The purpose of the meeting was to examine the local school system. Several women spoke at the event including Olma Bruck, a former Indianapolis School Board Member.

While Mrs. Doran stayed home to raise their three children, Mr. Doran was a very busy person at Eli Lilly.  He was an important research chemist who not only authored articles on barbiturates for the American Chemical Society, but his research on hypnotics led to a patent for Seconal. A publication put out by Eli Lilly revealed that Mr. Doran actually obtained several patents on hypnotics. He was considered one of the leading authorities in the world on barbituric-acid chemistry.

For the Doran children, the new home was a perfect place in which to find areas to play. Across the street, the boys used a small field next to Pleasant Run for all kinds of ball games. The stream itself was also an inviting place for the children to explore nature.

David Lash, the son-in-law of Wilbur and Julia Doran, attempted to dig out the family driveway at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive c 1965.  (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Family dinner, January 1954:  Wilbur, Miriam, Julia, and James Doran gathered for a meal in their dining room at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive.  Philip Doran likely took the photo. 

The Doran family dog reclined next the fireplace at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1967. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering) 

Julia Cooper Doran, who had deep roots in Irvington, posed next to her Christmas tree c1966 (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Happy Day: Miriam Doran married David Lash of 47 North Layman Avenue at the Irvington Methodist Church on August 6, 1965. After the wedding, the Dorans hosted a reception. In this photo, the newlyweds departed out a back door of her childhood home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. Judy and Barbara Doran can also be seen in the image. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

House for sale c1982: The Dorans had lived in their home for over 30 years when they put it on the market. Harold Papiska was the next resident of the house. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Today, the home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive looks much the same as it did in 1950. The pin oak planted by Mr. Doran in the front yard now towers over the house. The Dorans sold the dwelling in the early 1980s. Later residents altered a few things on the back of the house, but the residence is largely as Mr. Little designed it.

Sources:  About Orlando Little:  "Orlando Little, Architect, Dies," Indianapolis News, January 21, 1958, 9; "Notice to Bidders," Indianapolis Star, October 21, 1925; "West Michigan M.E. Church Work Started," Indianapolis Star, September 8, 1924, 17; "Sealed Proposals," Indianapolis Star, May 21, 1931, 8; "New Ray Street Nazarene Church to be Dedicated," Indianapolis Star, April 21, 1954, 8; The Doran family:  "AAUW Study Groups Schedule 6 Meetings," Indianapolis Star, February 3, 1952, 65; "Lash-Doran," Indianapolis Star, January 6, 1965, 98; "Irvington Mother's Club," Indianapolis Star, January 12, 1964, 73. Clipping from Eli Lilly Company Promotional, "Wilbur Doran Scores Scientific 1st in Synthesizing New Anesthetic," Undated. (collection of Miriam Lash)

I am indebted to Miriam Doran Lash for her stories and information about the photos. I would also like to thank Alicia Schwering who introduced me to the Doran/Lash family. Jennifer Lash, the daughter of Miriam and David Lash has also assisted with the post. Thank you to all three of these ladies!