In the Shade of the Kile Oak

In the Shade of the Kile Oak

By RoseAnn O'Connor Linder

Editor's Note: I am particularly indebted to RoseAnn O'Connor Linder for her stories and photos about life along Beechwood Avenue. She has captured a snapshot in time. Neighbors along this street will be very interested to read about the folks who used to reside here. 

The O'Connors moved into 5956 Beechwood Avenue in 1946. In 1950, they posed on their front porch to mark the first communion for RoseAnn O'Connor. Pictured: (top) John and Della Wheat O'Connor; (bottom) RoseAnn and Jeanne O'Connor (photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

My name is RoseAnn O'Connor Linder and I was asked to write about growing up in Irvington in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. I was born on July 27, 1944, to John and Della Wheat O'Connor. I first went home to live at 2143 North Alabama Street with my sister Jeanne, who was four years older, and several of my aunts and uncles. 

In the spring of 1946, my parents bought a small white frame house at 5956 Beechwood Avenue across from Miss Mae Kile and her now famous oak tree. Miss Kile was an "elderly" lady by then in her 70s, the same age I am now. She was living in the house her father had built at 5939 Beechwood Avenue. Her home had no electricity, indoor plumbing, central heating, or a telephone. Her outhouse was a frequent target for teenaged boys around Halloween. She cooked with a wood or coal stove. It seemed her yard held every species of tree native to Indiana. Elementary children in the third grade at School #85 toured her yard every year to collect leaves for a school project. At the time of her death, there were only great nieces and nephews living in California. The family held an auction and my mother purchased what is known as a Martha Washington Sewing Cabinet, which I still have. The house was eventually torn down and now her property is a pocket park.

The Kile Home as it appeared in the early 1970s (photo courtesy of Chuck McCleery)

Mae Kile was not the only "eccentric" elderly lady living in the neighborhood. Miss Lucille Morehouse lived next door at 5958 Beechwood Avenue. She wrote for the Indianapolis Star. She kept a copy of every newspaper in which her column appeared--not just the column, but the entire newspaper!

On the west side of us, lived the Justice family at 5952 Beechwood Avenue. Earl and Betty Justice had two boys, Mike and Johnny. Our two houses had been built at the same time by the same builder so we shared a cinder driveway. I still have a few specks on my left knee from a nasty fall on that driveway. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, an older couple with no children, lived at 5948 Beechwood Avenue. Ruby Gray lived at 5940 Beechwood Avenue and the Ruedlingers, who had several children our age, resided at 5936 Beechwood Avenue. Across the street, the Wolven family lived at 5959 Beechwood Avenue. They had a daughter named Rosalie, who was the same age as my sister Jeanne. The older Wolven boys helped their father with his hauling business. Their grandmother lived in a little house behind the main house. Directly across from us at 5949 Beechwood was Beatrice Wilson and two other maiden ladies, all retired school teachers. This large two-story house had columns and was surrounded by a picket fence. When the last of those ladies died, the Boerger family bought it. They had two children our ages named Jeff and Joanie.

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

Beatrice Wilson and retired school teachers lived in this large house at 5949 Beechwood Avenue in the 1940s. Later the Boergers and McCleerys resided here. In the winter of 1957, a member of the McCleery family snapped this beautiful photograph. (photo courtesy of Chuck McCleery)  

RoseAnn and Jeanne O'Connor posed after a winter storm in front of their childhood home at 5956 Beechwood Avenue in 1957 (Photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

Jerrilyn Sherrard and RoseAnn O'Connor posed in the backyard of the Sherrard home at 388 South Arlington Avenue. The backyards of the two girls abutted so it was easy to gather to play. The photo was likely snapped in either 1950 or 1951. (Photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

"Trouble Looking for a Place to Happen:" The Beechwood crew gathered on the steps of the O'Connor home at 5956 Beechwood Avenue in 1947. Pictured--Top: Mike Justice, Jeanne O'Connor; Middle: Judy Orr, Bea Ruedlinger, Rose Mary Zimmerman; Bottom Row: RoseAnn O'Connor, Leonard Ruedlinger, and Joanne Zimmerman. The Zimmerman children lived on Rawles Avenue behind the Kile home. (Photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

My father, John O'Connor, was an accountant for the Potter Material Services from 1951 to 1959. He left to become the chief deputy for David Finney in the Marion County Assessor's Office from 1959 through 1963. He was active with the Democratic Party as a precinct committeeman. I remember going door to door with him to register new voters.  He later worked as an auditor for the Indianapolis Housing Authority until the time of his death on January 29, 1967, at the age of 52. My mother, Della Wheat O'Connor, was housewife. She was a fantastic cook, an amazing seamstress, and she served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader for both Jeanne and I. 

We did most of our grocery shopping at the Regal Store on South Audubon Road. The Omar man delivered bread and other baked goods to our home while a milkman from Polk's delivered dairy products. I still have the tall green iced tea glasses that the cottage cheese came in. Across the street at Miss Kile's house, the iceman delivered large chunks of ice for her icebox in a horse-drawn wagon with leather curtains and later in a motorized pick-up truck. In those days, the iceman would give the children chips of ice. We used to wait for him just as we did the ice cream man.

We did not have a car for much my pre-high school childhood so we walked or rode the bus. We ran the wheels off of our red wagon as we used it so often. One year, the Boy Scouts sold Christmas trees at School #85 just north of us, so we brought the tree home in the wagon. Downtown Irvington was thriving during my childhood. We had a bank, two drugstores, two hardware stores, a movie theater, an appliance store, Chailles Shoe Store, a bookstore where I bought my Nancy Drew books, and a bridal shop where I later paid $50 for my wedding dress. 

Jeanne and I both attended Our Lady Lourdes and Scecina High School. I remember when they tore down the old grade school in the spring of 1958 and replaced it with a modern building. I graduated from high school in 1962.

In the summer of 1957, several friends gathered on the front lawn of the O'Connor home at 5956 Beechwood Avenue. Pictured: (Top) Carol Biemer; (Middle) Carolyn Koesters, Barb Strange, Kathy McCoy; (Front) Jeanne O'Connor (Photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

Members of the KEZ club from Scecina High School gathered in Jeanne O'Conner's living room at Christmas time in 1956. RoseAnn Linder reports that the lamp on the table near the window was a wedding gift for her parents. Mrs. Linder still possesses that lamp. Pictured: (back) Carol Biemer, Jeanne O'Connor; (middle) Carolyn Koesters, Sussanne Dufour, Janice Meyer; (front) Barb Strange (Photo courtesy of RoseAnn Linder)

Tragedy struck our family on October 21, 1957. Jeanne had gone to work at Woolworth's Store in the new Eastgate Mall. We had a car by that time and Daddy usually picked her up after work, but this was a Monday so he was at the Knights of Columbus meeting. On these occasions, Mom and I would walk up Arlington Avenue to meet her at Washington Street as she got off the bus. We met up and as we were nearing our home, a drunk driver on Arlington Avenue lost control of his car, jumped the curb, and struck us. Jeanne was dead at the scene. I was unconscious and Mom nearly out of her mind. It was two days after Jeanne's 17th birthday. She was a senior at Scecina High School and would have graduated in 1958. I was 13 at the time. 

During my junior year in high school, Mom announced that she was pregnant. My little sister, Cathy, was born on January 18, 1961. What a delight she has been in my life. She lived a very different childhood from mine. Most of the old neighbors had been replaced except for Miss Kile, who had become more reclusive. When Cathy was six, Daddy died. Mom did a fantastic job of raising her. Mom sold our house in the mid-1980s and died on November 13, 2001.  

Five Years--A Milestone

In late November of 2010, I made the decision to create something I had always dreamed about finding on the internet...a caché of historic photos about the Irvington neighborhood in Indianapolis. For years I had trolled the web searching in vain for photos from this site and that site. No such URL existed nor would there be one until I began Vintage Irvington. Quite frankly, I was not sure if I would be able to last more than a few months, but thanks to the efforts of many current and former residents, the blog is as strong as ever. This entry marks my 653rd post for the site. In the five years that I have been writing Vintage Irvington, there have been 156,555 hits mostly from the United States but many folks stopped by from places like Russia, Latvia, Turkey, Bahrain, and dozens of other nations. Are there former Irvingtonians living in those places?  Thanks to all of you who have contributed over the years. I am very grateful and appreciative.

Highlights from the past year....

Friends Lend Me a Hand

Many of the photos that appear on this site came from friends who have connections to Irvington. Amanda Browning, who writes the Horner House Blog (http://hornerhouseindy.blogspot.com/), has been copiously researching the families who dwelled in her Second Empire style home on South Emerson Avenue. She has been very generous in sharing her images and stories including her notes on the Terrill family who dwelled in several locales throughout the neighborhood. Her haunting images of the "Castle" house at 5631 University Avenue answered many questions about what this house looked like before the Craftsman-era porch was added in the 1910s.

Terrill family home at 5631 University Avenue in 1913 (Photo courtesy of Amanda Browning)

Local historian, Larry Muncie, has been a contributor to this site from the beginning. I have frequently called upon his knowledge and expertise. He grew up in the neighborhood along Beechwood Avenue and has been researching the community for many years. His photo of the Kingsbury home on Layman Avenue now belongs to the Irvington Historical Society. He generously shared it with me last winter.

The Kingsbury Home at 348 North Layman Avenue in 1906 (Photo courtesy of the Larry Muncie Collection at the Irvington Historical Society)

Leslie Wilson and I have worked together for years at North Central High School. She is a cheerful person who cares deeply about young people. I was thrilled to learn that her Mother lived for a brief time in Irvington and that she was married in the Irvington Methodist Church. Leslie generously shared many photos from that period of her Mom's life.

Merry Jo and Walter Carey on their wedding day at the Irvington Methodist Church on May 16, 1948. (Photo courtesy of Leslie Wilson)

My neighbor, Janet Wilzbacher, led me to the Glore family of Beechwood Avenue.  Janet lives in the former Glore family bungalow and still keeps in touch with the former residents. She led me to Kathryn Glore Wright, who shared stories and images of their tenure along that street.

James and Marjorie Glore moved in 5702 Beechwood Avenue in 1939 and the house remained with the Glores until 1986. (Photo courtesy of Kathryn Glore Wright)

Chance Encounters Yield Results

A lost dog led me to George William Long, IV.  During a late evening walk, a man on a bike stopped me to ask if I had seen his dog.  "Sorry," I reported, "but I have not." I walked on along Oak Avenue and sure enough I spotted his wayward pooch. "You are coming with me," I announced as I hauled the dog back to his worried owner.  Soon, I learned that Mr. Long's grandparents had dwelled on South Audubon Road and that he had a photo of them hanging in his house. He generously loaned me the image and I posted it that night.

Barbara and George Long posed with their son, George,Jr., in front of their home at 346 South Audubon Road on May 30, 1948.  (Photo courtesy of George William Long, IV)

Perhaps the most unusual encounter occurred last winter at the end of a day filled with adventure. My neighbor and friend, Bill Jensen, noticed that a snapping turtle was trapped in between two logs in Pleasant Run. He asked me if I would be brave enough to help him free the turtle, but he also warned me of the perils that faced us. They are called "snapping" turtles for a reason. After we successfully liberated the poor tired creature, we encountered Norman Warrenburg, who was having a smoke break along the stream. His wife was patiently waiting for him in the car. My neighbor struck up a conversation with him and quickly surmised that he was talking to a lifelong Irvington resident. I didn't know it then, but I was about to obtain the most popular photo in the blog's five-year history. Mr. Warrenburg noted that his brother had a large 1920s-era aerial photograph of the North Irvington Garden District. The photo was so large that I had to scan it into several sections. I then posted it with some local house histories and then something happened that doesn't very often...one of my posts went viral. As of this writing, the photo has received over 1100 hits. Turtles and dogs came to my aid this year.

Aerial Shot of the Irvington Garden District--1925 (Photo courtesy of the Warrenburg Family)

The Mother Lode of Photos

Often times, I have made connections through Ancestry.com.  Last winter I managed to contact a person on that site and she led me to Steve Koepper, who grew up in a modest bungalow on East Tenth Street. I didn't know it then, but I was about to obtain an incredible collection of mid-twentieth century photographs documenting the lives of an Irvington family. Norman and Lora Koepper raised their three children at 5263 East Tenth Street. Mrs. Koepper, the family documentarian, took hundreds of photographs and kept records of every household expense. Steve Koepper and his sister Susan Koepper Foster loaned me photograph after wonderful photograph. Birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, and magical snowfalls all appeared on Vintage Irvington. I especially loved this collection because it captured the everyday lives of a family.

Norman and Lora Koepper posed for this photograph in the living room of their home at 5263 East Tenth Street in 1954. Also pictured in this photo included Steve (seated), Sue, and Paul Koepper (Photo courtesy of Steve Koepper)

The Koepper family on Easter Day in 1956 in the backyard of their home at 5263 East Tenth Street. (left to right) Steve, Sue, Norman, Lora, and Paul.  (Photo courtesy of Steve Koepper)

In the spring, I managed to make a connection with Steve Lawton, who briefly dwelled in Irvington as a toddler. Although his family did not reside in their Julian Avenue home for long, he generously loaned me photos from his youth. The Lawtons resided at 5915 Julian Avenue from 1939 to 1945. I had no way of knowing it then, but I was soon to meet a childhood neighbor of Steve's and that encounter would lead me to the largest collection of photos I had ever come across.

Bill Lawton, the brother to Steve Lawton, and Ted Lollis played in the sandbox in the backyard of the Lawton home at 5915 Julian Avenue in 1940. Little Ted lived next door at 5919 Julian. (Photo courtesy of Steve Lawton) 

Ted Lollis grew up in various houses along Julian Avenue. When I first contacted him, he indicated that most of his scrapbooks were put away in a shed on his property. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would most likely not get access to those images as Mr. Lollis lived in Tennessee.  Then, out of the blue, I received an exciting e-mail. Mr. Lollis and his wife would be passing through Indiana to attend a conference on peace in the beautiful village of New Harmony.  He agreed to drive to Irvington for the day! The couple are much involved in the peace movement and Mr. Lollis has spent much of his life documenting peace monuments around the world. His website on the topic is the only known such repository on the internet.  He brought several packed and I do mean packed scrapbooks filled with historic images of Irvington and of his family's cottage in Michigan. We spent several hours combing through those scrapbooks. His father had been raised by a wealthy uncle and a dutiful aunt, whose time in Irvington dates to the early twentieth century. The scrapbooks contained dozens of images of families and homes along South Audubon Road, East Washington Street, Julian Avenue, and Johnson Avenue. In two of the images, I had even spotted my own home. After we examined the scrapbooks, we meandered along the streets and quiet alleys of the neighborhood. We managed to gain access into one of the family homes. Although he had not lived in the neighborhood in decades, Mr. Lollis had not forgotten anything. We even found a secret opening at the rear of a yard in one of his childhood homes along Julian Avenue. Mr. Lollis generously gave me access to any image I wanted for the site and I spent most of last summer blogging about his various family lines. Both he and Steve Lawton have lived remarkable lives since leaving the neighborhood. To visit Mr. Lollis's peace site click on this link:  http://peace.maripo.com/

The Stevenson family home at 5698 East Washington Street has been gone since 1928. Robert and Mary Stevenson enjoyed living in fine homes and owning fancy cars. They raised Edward Lollis, the orphaned nephew of Mr. Stevenson, in several Irvington homes. This photo was taken in 1913. (Photo courtesy of Ted Lollis) 

Edward and Georgia May Lollis moved into 5919 Julian Avenue in 1937. Shortly after settling in, Mrs. Lollis walked through each room and snapped photos like this one of the living room. (Photo courtesy of Ted Lollis)

Mary Stevenson, the aunt to Edward Lollis, likely took this photograph of the first Irvington Presbyterian Church at 55 Johnson Avenue around 1917. (Photo courtesy of Ted Lollis)

Mary Stevenson took this wonderful photograph of her grand nephew, Ted Lollis, in 1946 on her stoop at 112 Johnson Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Ted Lollis)

An Incredible Family

Over the years, I have spent many pleasant mornings dining in Dufour's Restaurant located 5648 East Washington Street. I had known that the Dufours were a large Catholic family and that they lived in Irvington. I had made overtures to meet some of the family, but I did not follow up. Then, on a spring afternoon I happened to walk by the establishment just as it was closing. Outside, Maria Dufour, the current chef and owner, was cleaning up. She offered to invite me to dessert with as many siblings as she could round up to talk about her family's story. We met several weeks later at the restaurant and gathered around the large table that used to sit in the family home at 53 North Audubon Road. The Dufour children spoke lovingly of their parents, Lawrence and Nell Dufour. Mr. Dufour earned a comfortable living selling supplies for industrial kitchens. He traveled around the state and the Midwest. Mrs. Dufour stayed at home and raised the couple's ten children! I met most of them on that beautiful spring day. They spoke of their mother's cooking, the laundry that never ended, playing outside and with whom. They remembered favorite neighbors and unusual features about their home on North Audubon Road. We laughed as they recalled pranks played upon one another and about Saturday nights where popcorn became a bedtime snack. One daughter, Sussanne, brought her mother's journals and allowed me access to these precious primary sources for the blog. Others brought photographs, including Lenore, the oldest sibling. It was a gift that I had the opportunity to meet Lenore as she passed away in September. I dedicate this entire blog post in her memory.

Lenore Dufour posed for this photograph at the Dufour family home at 53 North Audubon Road on Easter Day, 1961. This entire post is dedicated to her memory. (Photo courtesy of the Dufour Family) 

Putting Out Fires

Terry Wilgus, who lived for a part of her life along Lowell Avenue in the Irvington Terrace area loaned me several photos that belonged to her father, Robert McDonnell, an Irvington fireman. One of her photos was shocking and showed a small plane that had crashed into house at 354 North Bolton Avenue on June 20, 1953. She also gave me some incredible shots of the old fire station that used to sit at 5432 East Washington Street. There may be other photos from her collection so I always look forward to messages that I receive from her!

On June 23, 1953, a small plane crashed into 354 North Bolton Avenue. Fireman, Robert McDonnell can be seen on the roof trying to save the pilot and co-pilot. Amazingly, the pilots survived. (Photo courtesy of Terry Wilgus)

Two Interesting Ladies

Last winter I was invited to speak to a group of Howe High School graduates from the class of 1952. One of those attending was Diana Wilkens, who grew up in the area. Although it took us a few months, Diana eventually reached out to me and offered photos of her time spent on Linwood Avenue, Washington Street, and East Ninth Street. I found her story compelling as she left Irvington for New York City where she worked for an ad agency. During this tenure of her life, she met many important people in both the fashion and publishing world. Circumstances brought her back to Irvington and away from her exciting life in the Big Apple. She drove from Greenfield to Irvington to loan me her collection. I am so fortunate to run into kind people like Diana.

Diana Wilkens posed for this photo in 1954 at her family's home at 5120 East Washington Street. She would soon depart for New York City. (Photo courtesy of Diana Wilkens)

On the day that I met Nancy Ostrander, the United States and Cuba had just normalized relations. Why, you ask, would I mention this point on a blog post about Irvington? It turns out my timing could not have been more perfect. I met Nancy Ostrander on her front porch along with her favorite neighborhood cat. "See that," she pointed to a color photograph of an American soldier raising the Stars and Stripes in Havana, Cuba on the cover of USA Today, "behind the solider, you can see the apartment where I lived when I worked for the U.S. State Department before the arrival of Castro." I had heard from some of my neighbors that Ms. Ostrander was the "most accomplished" person living in the neighborhood and after meeting her, I can say without hesitation that they are correct. Nancy grew up along North Audubon Road and was raised with a cousin by her widowed mother. After graduating from Howe High School and Butler University, she left Indianapolis for Cuba to find work with the embassy. She worked her way through the State Department and eventually became the U.S. Ambassador to the South American nation of Suriname in 1978.  I met her on that front porch several times and we spoke little of her accomplishments and more about her life along Audubon Road.

Nancy Ostrander posed with her beloved "Koko" in front of her residence at 323 North Audubon Road in 1933. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Ostrander)

Yes, there will be a sixth year...

I have no idea how long I can continue to find incredible people like the folks mentioned above, but in the five years that I have been writing this blog there have been just as many each year. I am always on the hunt for more images of this very unique and interesting neighborhood. If you know of someone I should speak to, please drop me an e-mail at williamfranklingulde@gmail.com

From the Journal of Nell Dufour--1949

Lawrence and Nell Dufour along with their growing family moved into 53 North Audubon Road in 1949. The couple spent the remainder of their lives in this beautiful dwelling. Mrs. Dufour taught her children to be quiet and respectful on Sunday mornings when the Methodists gathered across the street. Friday nights were often "popcorn" night for the younger children. Mrs. Dufour was an excellent cook and delicious aromas often drifted out of the kitchen window and into the neighborhood. Holidays were especially joyful for the Dufours. The older siblings brought home husbands, wives, and grandchildren at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes was also an important part of life for the family. Mrs. Dufour was instrumental in introducing the concept of school uniforms for students at Our Lady of Lourdes School.  Laundry chutes, a dark basement, a formal hedge, and other parts of the property provided plenty of fun, mayhem, and pranks for the Dufour children. Mrs. Dufour kept a daily log for part of her time in the house. Each year, Mr. Dufour presented her with a diary so that she could record the history of her family. The Dufours now cherish her words as she managed to chronicle the sometimes-forgotten daily moments of their busy family. In this final installment from 1949, Mrs. Dufour documented the selling of 5125 East Michigan Street and their purchase of 53 North Audubon Road. It was an exciting time for the family.


From Lawrence J. Dufour

January 1, 1949:  This diary has been presented to my beloved wife in fond hopes that she will render a vivid day by day record on the doings and happenings in the lives of the Dufours, from henceforth. L.J. Dufour

53 North Audubon Road c1985 (Photo Credit: Daniel Dufour)

Buying 53 North Audubon Road and Selling 5125 East Michigan Street

January 9, 1949:  Went to see the house on Audubon. Been thinking about it for sometime now. Lo and Behold--we bought the house!!! Brought the "For Sale" sign home with us and now starts the confusion of showing people this house. (5125 East Michigan Street) Bought the house for $20,000. Selling this one for $12,500. Hope we get it since we did so much to this house--even if we hate to leave it, but we are so crowded.

January 10, 1949:  Larry put the the "For Sale" sign out in the front yard.

January 15, 1949:  Worked very hard today to get the house in order to be shown tomorrow.

January 16, 1949:  (Sunday)  The house was shown to six parties. One with four children was very interested in it and will probably buy.

January 20, 1949:  Mr. Hargrove (Charles M.) brought in another party this morning. 

January 23, 1949:  Hurrah! Hurrah! The house was sold. Our thanks to God for this was a blessing too, since the house was only open a week. Sold it to the Lees (Eldred and Kathryn Lee) for $12,000 instead of $12,500. I am happy for them too because they needed the a house so badly for the little children. Now, it seems we have to get packing since we are giving immediate possession. 

53 North Audubon Road c1949 

February 24, 1949:  Because of baby's illness, (Christopher Dufour) I was unable to go to the bank to meet with the Lees and the Smiths. (John M. and Mildred Smith owned 53 North Audubon Road) A Hargrove Real Estate agent, and a man from the bank came out with papers for me to sign. 

February 25, 1949:  We now own the property on 53 North Audubon Road. Humbly, I thank God for this--another of His abundant blessings.  

Moving Day

March 10, 1949:  This is the day--Moving to 53 North Audubon Road. Its an awful day to move--quite a heavy snowstorm last night. 

Winter beauty at 53 North Audubon Road c1988 (Photo: Daniel Dufour)

First Gathering in the New House

March 31, 1949:  Of all the years I have been doing church work, this is the first time I had a meeting at our house. It was a very nice feeling and I was proud to have them come into our home. 

New Lamps

May 6, 1949:  Interior decorator, Miss Ellis brought in a pair of beautiful lamps for the living room. Since they fit in so beautifully with the color scheme, we decided to keep them at $19.98 each. We think they are quite a buy too.

School Uniforms for the Children at Our Lady of Lourdes

August 2, 1949:  Preparing for a meeting here tomorrow night. Will discuss uniforms and get things lined up for big meeting. Block's Department Store called--heard about the uniforms and wants to submit samples.  

A Sampling of Dufour Family Photos at 53 North Audubon Road

Father and Daughter: Bernadette Dufour and Lawrence Dufour in the living room at 53 North Audubon Road in 1960

Lenore Dufour in the living room at 53 North Audubon Road in 1961

Lenore Dufour on the staircase in 53 North Audubon Road on Easter Day in 1960

Lenore Dufour in the family home at 53 North Audubon Road in 1961

Autumn Splendor: A gorgeous maple tree used to thrive in the front yard of the Dufour home at 53 North Audubon Road. Note the hedge that used to border the sidewalk.  (photo taken on Thanksgiving Day in 1961)

Lenore Dufour at 53 North Audubon Road on Christmas Day, 1961

Christmas in 1961 at the Dufour home at 53 North Audubon Road

Christmas tree at the Dufour home at 53 North Audubon Road in 1961

Christmas 1963: Mrs. Dufour was very proud of her new color  scheme in the living room 

53 North Audubon Road c1980.  Note that the street sign says "Audubon Place." (Photo: Daniel Dufour)

Glowing:  53 North Audubon Road on a gorgeous autumn day c1990 (Photo: Daniel Dufour)

Spring beauty:  53 North Audubon Road c1990 (Photo: Daniel Dufour)

The stories and photos for this post are courtesy of the Dufour family.  

Journal Reveals Snippets of Life in Irvington--1948

Lawrence and Nell Dufour dwelled in three houses in the Irvington area. They would in total have ten children:  Lenore, Daniel, Sussanne, Richard, Donna, Bernadette, Christopher, Victoria, Maria, and Dianne.  While Mr. Dufour worked as a salesman and traveled all over the state of Indiana, Mrs. Dufour stayed home with the children. She washed clothes every single day and diapers for at least fourteen years.  She prepared meals daily and made sure the children got off to school. Somehow she also found time be an active part of the community. In 1948, her husband gave her a journal to record and document their lives which she did faithfully for two years.  Her daily snippets reveal so much detail about their lives at their Michigan Street and Audubon Road addresses. She stopped recording events throughout the 1950s due to her busy life, but she resumed again in the 1960s.

All of the following journal entries were written while the Dufours dwelled at 5125 East Michigan Street in 1948.

5125 East Michigan Street in 2015

Movies

January 18, 1948:  Larry and I went to the Emerson this evening to see Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara in "The Foxes of Harrow." She is beautiful and a wonderful actress, but the picture was definitely in the "B" category.

Valentine's Day

February 14, 1948:  Daddy brought the children a large box of Fannie May Candy as a Valentine to them! To me, he sent a dozen of lovely long-stemmed roses. He is still sweet and considerate. My Valentine to my family were individual cakes which went over big.  

Coal

February 23, 1948:  Three ton of Stoker coal delivered.  The price of coal is certainly going up. $14.95 per ton.  Was $8.00 four years ago.  

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

Memorial Day Picnic

May 30, 1948:  The whole family got together and cleaned up the yard. It is quite a job and will have to finish tomorrow. After our hard work, we had a lovely picnic in the backyard--our first this year.

Shingles  (The Dufours added shingle siding over the clapboards of 5125 East Michigan Street)

June 2, 1948:  Men putting shingles on house had to stop on account of shortage of materials...

June 9, 1948:  One week later and the job on the house is still incomplete.  

June 16, 1948:  Another week and still the job on the house is incomplete.  

5125 East Michigan Street in 1947

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

Baptism Celebration for Christopher Dufour

November 14, 1948:  Christopher was baptized! Julie and Bryan Grotegut (5135 Ohmer Avenue) are his godparents. Father Beechum (Joseph Beechum) baptized him at 2:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Father Beechum was our guest at dinner which everyone seemed to enjoy. The menu was:

     Roast Prime Rib of Beef
       Mashed potatoes and gravy
         Pear Nut, cherry, and lettuce salad
            Broccoli with cheese sauce
              Harvard Beets
                 Cornbread and butter
                    Chiffon Parfait Cake 
                        Coffee

Snowstorm

December 18, 1948:  Came home through several inches of snow. It came down suddenly and furiously. Everything looks just beautiful in this typical winter wonderland. It is our first real snowstorm this year. Daddy had the tree up when we got home. 

The photos and use of Mrs. Dufour's journal entries are courtesy of the Dufour family.  Stay tuned for more journal entries as the family moved to 53 North Audubon Road.

The Dufour Family Moves to Indianapolis

The Dufour family name is well-known on the east side of Indianapolis because of a lovely cafe that sits on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Audubon Road.  The family has been an important part of the Irvington community since 1940. Lawrence  and Carmella (Nell) Dufour met in Chicago and married there in 1935.  In 1939, the couple moved to Indianapolis on Guilford Avenue in Broad Ripple. Mr. Dufour was employed as a salesman.  By 1940, the couple had two small children so they rented a bungalow at 4003 Brookville Road. Soon that house had become too small so the Dufours, who now had four children, moved to 738 North Dequincy Street in Emerson Heights in 1942.

By the early 1940s, Mr. Dufour was established as a salesman of kitchen supplies for the Albert Pick Company. He helped firms, schools, hospitals, and non-profits with the designs of their kitchens. He spent much of his week traveling down the highways of Indiana from one city to the next selling stainless steel tables, cabinets, and industrial appliances. When he was home, he often worked at the dining room table creating blueprints, drawings, or plans.  His wife, Nell, would not only keep their growing family out of the dining room while Mr. Dufour worked, but she also typed up the quotes.

The Dequincy Street home would be the first of three houses that the Dufours owned. They paid $30 a month for their mortgage. While living in the house, the family attended Little Flower Catholic Church, but by the mid-1940s they would find their forever church with Our Lady of Lourdes on East Washington Street.  The Dufours would in total have ten children so there was always a great necessity of finding a larger house. Furthermore, Mr. and Mrs. Dufour occasionally took in families or people who needed a home.

With the start of World War II, Mr. Dufour attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army, but officials turned him down due to his blood pressure issues and the number of children he had. Instead, he became a local air raid warden for the Emerson Heights area. His job was to make sure that local neighbors turned off lights or at least shut their curtains so that would-be bombers wouldn't see the city during drills. In 1945, the growing Dufour family moved to 5125 East Michigan Street in the Pleasanton section of Irvington.

Stay tuned as more posts will be coming on this interesting Irvington family.

Lawrence and Carmella Rose Dufour were married in Chicago on May 18, 1935.

Growing Family:  Lawrence and Nell Dufour posed with their four children at that time (Lenore, Daniel, Sussanne, and Richard) on the front steps at 738 North Dequincy Street c1945. 

Proud Papa:  Lawrence Dufour posed with Lenore, Daniel, Richard, and Sussanne Dufour on their front steps at 738 North Dequincy Street c1945.  

738 North Dequincy Street in 2015.

The historic photos and stories are courtesy of the Dufour family.