The Sohn Family of Downey Avenue

In 1905, eighteen-year-old Anton P. Sohn (1887-1961) slipped out of New Albany, Indiana with a $5 gold piece secretly given to him by his mother. He headed north on the Monon Line for Indianapolis where he started a new life. His first jobs were in various butcher shops. He found lodging above the stores at the corner of Washington Street and Ritter Avenue.  With a talent for business, he soon opened his first grocery store at 1744 Brookside Avenue. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, the entrepreneur opened and sold additional grocery stores, purchased the Manhattan Movie Theater on West Washington Street, and bought a Jackson County farm. His life was about to change, however, when he met and eventually married Ruth Fulton.

Ruth Fulton (1903-1986) grew up in Hindsboro, Illinois. A talented student, young Ruth loved to write poetry. Her family, even to this day, treasure her poems and travel journals. Upon her graduation from high school in 1921, she moved to Indianapolis where her brother William, a dentist in Irvington, was living. Two sisters, Helen and Mabel, also resided in the Indianapolis area. Upon moving to the city, Ruth applied for nursing training at the Protestant Deaconess Hospital at the corner of Ohio Street and Senate Avenue. She was accepted and worked as a nurse for the next eleven years.

Anton Sohn and Ruth Fulton married on February 1, 1933, at Mr. Sohn's bungalow at 378 South Downey Avenue. Mr. Sohn was able to purchase the house at the height of the Great Depression because his grocery store at 1035 Fletcher Avenue managed to turn a profit during the hard times. He paid $4000 for the house in 1931. Built in 1915, the dwelling had previously belonged to the Olsen family. Mr. Sohn told his son Bill years later that many homes in Irvington, especially those along South Ritter Avenue, could be found at a cheap price during the Depression. Mr. Sohn, a financially prudent man, resisted the temptation to buy other nearby properties.

The modest one-and-a-half-story residence would serve as the Sohn family home for over fifty years. The couple raised four children in the bungalow. Dr. Anton Sohn, a son of Anton and Ruth Sohn, in his family memoir, Straight and Narrow (1992) noted that the house:

     ...was about1,200 square feet and consisted of six rooms, not including the bath, pantry, and porches. Oak hardwood floors were throughout the house and the walls were papered. When Bill (his brother) and I were older, part of the upstairs was finished with a bedroom and a full bathroom.

 Dr. Sohn noted that the house had a:

     coal chute under the kitchen window, but it was sealed when a gas furnace was installed after the War. Before then, Dad would let the coal fire burn out during the night. In the morning, we lit the oven and congregated in the kitchen until the furnace heated the house. 

The family planted a victory garden during World War II. Mrs. Sohn had a green thumb and planted a variety of flowers including many scented species, which filled the house with wonderful smells. The children played with the neighboring kids along Downey and Ritter Avenues.  The kids grew up hearing the sounds of trains along the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the noise associated with the busy Irvington Ice and Coal Company on South Ritter Avenue.

In part two, you will learn more about the children and what it was like growing up along Downey Avenue in the 1930s and 40s.

Ruth Fulton Sohn's Wedding Announcement in 1933 (Courtesy of Indianapolis Star)

Anton Sohn, who lived at 378 South Downey Avenue, posed Bill, Annalouise, and Anton Sohn in 1938. (Image courtesy of Bill Sohn)

Anton Sohn pulls his siblings, Bill and Annalouise, in the side yard at 378 South Downey Avenue c1938. The Sohns were the children of Anton and Ruth Fulton Sohn. Behind them, you can see their neighbor's home at 384 South Downey Avenue. The Wickliff family resided in that bungalow at the time the photo was taken. (Image courtesy of Bill Sohn)

378 South Downey Avenue on June 11, 2019

Sources:  Interview with Bill Sohn May 30, 2019; Anton P. Sohn, The Straight and Narrow, (Reno, Nevada, 1992).  E-mail correspondence with both Bill and Anton Sohn. 

New Photo Emerges of 1953 Irvington Plane Crash

On June 20, 1953, two brothers, Charles and Robert Woods, lost control of their small plane and crashed into the Rennard family home at 354 North Bolton Avenue.  Although severely injured, the siblings survived the crash.  Throughout the day, crowds from the neighborhood and beyond gathered at the scene except for the Rennards who were out of town that day. Bill Sohn, a teenager who lived at 378 South Downey Avenue, heard about the crash and grabbed his camera.  He arrived on the scene after the plane had been removed from the attic of the Rennard home and snapped this photo.  To read more about the events of that day, click on the link on below.

On June 20, 1953, the Woods brothers lost control and crashed their plane into 354 North Bolton Avenue. Bill Sohn of 378 South Downey Avenue, photographed the aftermath of the crash. Behind the plane, you can see the houses on the eastern side of the 300 block of Bolton Avenue. (Image courtesy of Bill Sohn)

http://vintageirvington.blogspot.com/2014/12/plane-crashed-into-irvington-home-in.html

Mr. Whitaker's Shop Classroom--1949

Boys in the 1940s at School #57 in the seventh and eighth grades had to make a decision.  Did they want to take woodworking or metalworking from Mr. Hershel Whitaker?  Their classroom, a noisy place, was located in the basement of the school. For one young man, Bill Sohn of 378 South Downey Avenue, the choice was woodworking. Each child aimed towards creating a final product like a hall tree or a stool. Bill chose to create a lamp. At the end of the term, each student placed their item on display. Bill Sohn brought his camera to school and snapped the image seen below. Seventy years later, Mr. Sohn could still recall that the letters "D" and "P" were created by Don Peters, a boy who was a grade behind him. He also noted that for one month the boys and girls traded classrooms.  The boys went into the home economics classroom and the girls attended shop. Bill still recalls sewing a pin cushion.  Mr. Whitaker and his wife, Maria, resided at 5119 Norway Drive so he could have walked to school on nice days. You will see his hat hanging on a hook in the photo.

Boys in Mr. Hershel Whitaker's woodworking class displayed their final products in 1949. Bill Sohn, a student in the class, snapped this photo. He created one of the lamps on the table. 

The image and information for this story is courtesy of Bill Sohn.  

Two Brothers Near Beechwood and Burgess--1936

Mark and Don Gray laughed as they posed for a photo in front of their home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue on a cold winter's day in 1936. We do not know if the brothers were celebrating a special occasion or if they were just having a good time, but the image reveals the rear of several homes along Burgess Avenue. The  home most visible is that of 329 Burgess Avenue. The Fansler family dwelled in that large home in 1936. Could the Fanslers hear the laughter emanating from Beechwood Avenue? Did they peek out from behind the curtains?

Brothers Mark (Jr.) and Don Gray, laughed as they posed for this photo in front of their home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. Behind the brothers, you can see the rear of 329 Burgess Avenue. (photo courtesy of Mark Gray, Jr.)

329 Burgess Avenue on a spring day in 2019. 

      I am especially indebted to Suzette Hagan for her amazing research on the families who resided at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. She has unearthed many photos and stories about her neighborhood. 

An Oak Avenue Home--1911

Dawson C. and Ida Belle Kile moved into their brand new home at 5921 Oak Avenue in 1911. Mr. Kile, who was 34 years old at the time, had lived part of his life in a house with his parents, Oliver and Sarah Kile, under the giant oak tree (now called the Kile Oak) on Beechwood Avenue. The younger couple were able to purchase the triangular lots on Oak Avenue because they belonged to the Frys, who were related to the Kiles. The house, fashioned in the American Four Square design, was a very popular style in the U.S. in 1911.  On the back of the photo, a realtor or family member described the interior of the home. Downstairs, the Kiles could enjoy a brick fireplace in the living the room with a coal grate.  The first floor also included a library, a dining room, the kitchen, and a pantry. The lower level had beautiful hardwood floors. Four bedrooms with "large" closets and a bathroom occupied the second floor. The builder attached city water and included a coal furnace that pumped warm air into the home on cold days.

The price of the home in 1911 or perhaps in 1913 was $5000 although the seller was willing to go down to $4500.  The Kiles moved from Irvington in 1913 so it is possible that this photo was used to try to sell the house at that time. It must have worked as the Evans family moved in and remained until 1918.

Dawson C. Kile worked as a railway mail clerk for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 37 years. He serviced various parts of the line from Pittsburg to St. Louis during his long tenure with the company. The couple had one biological son who survived into adulthood, John Albert Kile,  but he died at age 20 from malaria after they had moved to Ohio. The couple also adopted many foster children over the years. The Kiles left Irvington for Zanesville, Ohio after only living in this home for two years. The beautiful photo of their home shows the house before some of the later alterations occurred including a sizable rear addition. Mr. Kile's sister, Mae, continued to reside in the family home two blocks south on Beechwood until the early 1970s.  Ida Belle Kile passed away in 1948 while Dawson Kile lived until 1967.

Dawson and Ida Kile moved into this American Four Square at 5921 Oak Avenue in 1911. By 1913, they had moved to Zanesville, Ohio. Other families to reside here over the years included the Evans, Whiteman, Shirey, Kramer, Fee, Collins,  Pedigo, and Thomas families. (Photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Most likely in 1913 when the Kiles were putting the home on the market, someone wrote all of these details about the residence on the back of the photograph.  (Photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

I wish to thank Paula Schmidt of the Irvington Historical Society for loaning me this wonderful image. 

Sources:  Information about the purchase of the lots came from the Indianapolis Star, May 23, 1905 and the Indianapolis News, March 19, 1907, 8) Other useful information came from the obituaries of Dawson, Ida Belle, and John Albert Kile.

Thousands Gathered Along Beechwood Avenue

Editorial Note: Much of the information for this post is courtesy of Suzette (Becker) Hagan, whose grandparents used to dwell at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. She has spent the past several months researching the residence and uncovering fascinating facts. While several families have lived at 5621 Beechwood Avenue, Suzette has found the most information on the Forsythes, the Grays, and on her own family, the Beckers. For this post, she tracked down Mark William Gray, Jr, the grandson of Mark R. and Elsie May Gray. He generously lent her family photos. The Grays lived in the house from the 1927 to 1947. 

An Indiana governor, a few Indianapolis mayors, U.S. representatives and senators, and numerous other Hoosier politicians have visited the lovely home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. They had all one thing in common, a publisher and Democratic Party operative, named Mark R. Gray.

In 1927, Mark R. and Elsie May Gray purchased the gorgeous home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue that used to belong to the Forsythe, Falloon, and Keating families. The property also briefly served as a sorority house for Butler University in the early 1920s. For the next twenty years,  beginning in 1927, the house and the large property surrounding it would be the location of numerous parties and fundraisers for the Indiana Democratic Party. Mark R. Gray was the publisher of the Indianapolis Commercial.  He also served as the Grand Supreme Leader of the Moose for the United States! To say he was connected with some of the most powerful people in the state might be an understatement. Mrs. Gray was also involved in the Democratic Party. She frequently hosted events connected to the wives of the powerful.

Beginning in 1931, the Grays began to host a fundraiser for the Democratic Party on their property. Although it is hard to imagine, newspaper accounts from the period document that over 1000 people sometimes attended this event. Where did they park? What did the nearby neighbors think of this invasion? Sometimes there would be skits performed.  In the summer of 1941, local Democrats put on a "pageant" depicting the meeting between William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh. The culminating activity every year was a watermelon spitting contest. More genteel meetings hosted by Mrs. Gray included teas and talks. In October of 1932, Mrs Gray hosted Dr. and Mrs. William Larrabee in her home. Dr. Larrabee represented the Sixth District in the U.S. Congress. Of course, she invited numerous other powerful people, or those who sought power, to participate in the event.

When the Grays weren't hosting important state and national figures, they were busy raising their four children, Mark, Donald, Rosemary, and Richard. Much like the previous children who resided in the house, the Grays had plenty of room to play both inside the spacious home and upon the large yard. The backyard had a pool and plenty of space for running around or perhaps a game of baseball.

With the onset of World War II, the Grays saw all three of their sons deployed. Mr. Gray, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, was likely very proud of them. With the conclusion of the war and the fact that all of their children were now grown and out of the house, the Grays settled into their own routines.  Mr. Gray's active involvement with the Moose Lodge took up much of his time. In fact, while attending a Moose Conference in Richmond, Indiana on February 2, 1947, Mr. Gray suffered a devastating stroke that ended his life days later. Newspapers from around the nation noted his death. Shortly after his funeral, Mrs. Gray placed the Beechwood Avenue home on the market.  She sold it to the Becker family, who would reside in the house for the remainder of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

To see more photos and read more stories about the this house, click on either the "Forsythe" or "Becker" link below.

The Gray family went on vacation in the summer of 1938 and visited Pike's Peak. We do not know the names of the driver nor of the small girl. Others in the photo include: (left to right) top--Rosemary Gray, Mark R. Gray, Mark W. Gray; bottom--Unknown girl, Don Gray, Elsie May Gray, Richard R. Gray. (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Mark R. Gray was very active in the Indiana Democratic Party as well as the Moose Lodge. (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Mark R. Gray was the publisher of the Indianapolis Commercial as well as other printing businesses. He also helped to manage the 1940 Federal Census in Indiana. (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Mark R. Gray courted many politicians and ran for a few offices in the Democratic Party. He hosted large fundraising parties at his home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. (Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Brothers: Mark and Don Gray, the sons of Mark and Elsie May Gray, posed for this photo at the rear of 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1930. (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Little Richard R. Gray posed for this photo next to his home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue c1930 (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Mark William Gray, the son of Mark R. and Elsie May Gray, served in World War II. He was a graduate of the Indiana School of Law. All three of Mark R. and Elsie Gray's sons were deployed during the war. (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Mark William Gray, the son of Mark R. and Elsie Gray, in 1945 (Photo courtesy of Mark W. Gray, Jr.)

Many families have called 5621 Beechwood Avenue "home" including the Forsythes, the Falloons, the Keatings, the Grays, and the Beckers. (photo taken on March 26, 2019 by Bill Gulde)

Sources:  Newspaper clippings from the Suzette Hagan Collection; Articles related to "Watermelon Festival" at the home:  "Larrabee Addresses Democratic Meeting," Hancock Democrat, July 16, 1931;  "Democrat Club to Hear Ludlow," Indianapolis News, September 1, 1941; "Minton at Melon Feast," Indianapolis News, August 16, 1934; "Democrats Hold Annual Outing," Indianapolis News, September 4, 1941;  "1,100 Democrats Attend Rally, Eat Watermelons, Indianapolis Star, September 9, 1938;  Mrs. Gray's political activities: "Democrats Plan Teas for Women," Indianapolis Star, October 23, 1928; "Congressman And Mrs. Larrabee Honored with Tea," Hancock Democrat, October 6, 1932;  "Hickory Club Auxiliary to Hold Yuletide Party, Indianapolis Star, December 9, 1934;  Mr. Gray's activities with the Moose Lodge--"Editor of Newspaper," Indianapolis Star, August 14, 1936; "Gray is Re-Elected State Moose Head," Indianapolis Star, August 14, 1938; Mr. Gray's obituary--"Mark R. Gray, Publisher, Dies," Indianapolis News, February 26, 1947, 1;

The Forsythes Move to Beechwood Avenue

Editorial Note:  Much of the information for this post is courtesy of Suzette (Becker) Hagan, whose grandparents used to dwell at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. She began to wonder as to who else might have lived in the beautiful home. Her research led her to many newspaper clippings and even to the granddaughters of the Forsythe family. I am indebted to her for her kindness and generosity in sharing her copious notes and collections. I also wish to thank Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt, the granddaughters of William and Sarah Forsythe.  

William G. and Sarah E. Harris Forsythe moved into their stunning newly-built home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in early September of 1911.  Designed with both Tudor and Arts and Crafts influences, the residence was the first to be erected between Audubon Road and Burgess Avenue. Although not confirmed, Charles Byfield was likely the architect of the house. He designed a similar residence in northern Indianapolis.

The large residence with its spacious rooms, hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, a gorgeous staircase, and a substantial fireplace, must have seemed like a dream to the Forsythes. Mr. Forsythe worked as a railway mail clerk and Mrs. Forsythe stayed at home to tend to the couple's three children, Helen, Marjorie, and William, Jr. Mr. Forsythe should not be confused with the artist William Forsyth, who lived at East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue.

To celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary in December of 1911, the Forsythes invited many friends over to play "500."  They had to set up ten tables for the event. The couple decorated the rooms with holly and trimmed the fireplace with branches of the Christmas Berry. They received several gifts that night, but one was very special. Howard Chandler Christy, a prominent artist and cousin to Mr. Forsythe, sent a beautiful piece of crystal. The artist would later go on to paint portraits of Presidents and other important world leaders.

The Forsythe children had a beautiful space in which to play as the house, during their tenure, sat on a large lot with no immediate neighbors. Across the street and to the west, they could see the older homes nearby along Burgess Avenue. Helen, the oldest child, graduated from Shortridge High School while living in the house. Her marriage to Clarence Volz on November 10, 1917, made the society pages of the local Indianapolis newspapers.

The wedding surely must have been one of the prettiest in the city. The couple decided that there could be no more of a finer location in which to be married than in the gorgeous Forsythe home. As the guests took their seats in the living room, Mrs. Marie Dawson Morrell played beautiful pieces on her violin while Mrs. Franc Willhite Webber strummed the harp. Mr. Forsythe walked his beautiful daughter to an altar near the fireplace. As it was in November, the family filled with the rooms "countless" chrysanthemums. In front of the fireplace, a florist placed tall ferns and pretty vines over lattice work. The future Mrs. Volz wore a beautiful white satin gown with a satin bodice and a long train draped from her shoulders. Her veil was arranged with pearls and she held a bouquet of lily of the valleys. The Reverend Lewis Brown of St. Paul's Episcopal Church administered the vows. After their wedding, the newlyweds honeymooned in Chicago. Their time together, however, would have to wait as World War One raged in Europe. Mr. Volz departed for France shortly after their lovely evening on Beechwood Avenue. Helen Volz lived with her parents in the Beechwood house until his return.

The Forsythes resided in the home for eight years before moving to a smaller place on Oak Avenue in 1919. The family continued to dwell in Irvington for many more decades. To see more historic photographs of this house click on the "Forsythe Family" link below.

5621 Beechwood Avenue on March 4, 2019 (photo by Bill Gulde)

The Forsythe family was the first to call 5621 Beechwood Avenue "home." They moved into the house in early September in 1911.  This photo was likely taken in 1912. (photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Sarah Harris Forsythe, the matriarch of the family, posed for this photo next to her home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1915. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

William Grant Forsythe of Zanesville, Ohio posed for this photo on November 7, 1898. He later became a railway clerk and married Sarah Harris. The couple moved into 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1911. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt) 

Sarah Harris Forsythe stood on her drive  at 5621 Beechwood Avenue likely in 1914. Behind her, you can see the tall Queen Ann styled home at 336 Burgess Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Sarah Harris Forsythe posed with her children, Helen, Bill, and Marjorie 1909. Two years later, they moved into 5621 Beechwood Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Marjorie and Bill Forsythe posed on the front porch stoop at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1913. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Marjorie and Bill Forsythe posed for this photo in 1913 perhaps on the Forsythe property at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

5621 Beechwood Avenue on March 4, 2019 (photo by Bill Gulde)

Sources: Newspaper Clippings from the Suzette Hagan Collection; Wedding Anniversary-"Society," Indianapolis Star, December 27, 1911; Wedding--"Beautiful Wedding is Solemnized at Home in Irvington," Indianapolis Star, November 11, 1917. Interview with Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt, 2019 by Suzette Hagan.