Couple Moved into Emerson Heights Double During the Great Depression

      On December 9, 1933, Orville Peters and Marjorie Jones wed at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Irvington. With the nation still firmly in a major economic depression, the newlyweds started their lives together. Mr. Peters had grown up in Crothersville, Indiana and had only recently moved to Indianapolis. He enrolled in the Sanderson Business School and excelled, so much so that the college published his portrait and boasted of him in an advertisement. He used his knowledge and skills from that school to get hired by Standard Oil as an auditor. 

     In the summer of 1935, the couple likely saw an ad in the Indianapolis News that a double at 740 North Bancroft Street was available for rent. The home turned out to be a good decision on their part as it was close to Marjorie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, who lived at 312 North Layman Avenue. Soon, the pair welcomed two children, Donald and David Peters. 

     The young couple became very involved in the community. Mr. Peters was an avid golfer and frequently organized company tournaments. Mrs. Peters, who also golfed, formed the very first Mothers' Club for St. Matthew's Episcopal Church where she served as the Vice President. She conducted meetings in her Bancroft Avenue dwelling. As many of her friends also married, she hosted bridal showers in the residence as well. In the summer of 1938, she decorated her place in red and white colors for Jean McHatton who would soon marry Robert Behr. She asked attendees to gift kitchen items for the future Mrs. Behr. 

     On April 15, 1940, census taker, Beatrice Bleich, knocked on the door at 740 North Bancroft Street. Ms. Bleich recorded that Orville Peters was 29 years old and an auditor for Standard Oil Company. He earned a comfortable salary of $2000 a year. Marjorie Peters was 27 years old. Ms. Bleich noted that little Donald was three years old while David was only five months old. She further revealed that the couple paid $33 a month in rent. What she likely didn't know was that the family would soon move from the small two-bedroom double and into Marjorie Peters' childhood home at 312 North Layman Avenue. They would need the larger house as two more children would later arrive. Upon completing her survey, Ms. Bleich walked across the front porch to the other side of the double at 738 North Bancroft Street to interview Harry and Mary Beese. 

Next Up: Life Along Layman Avenue

Marjorie and Orville Peters resided at 740 North Bancroft Street from 1935 until 1940. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Orville Peters excelled at the Sanderson Business School. He served as an auditor and accountant for the remainder of his working life. (ad from unknown publication courtesy of the Peters family)

Orville Peters worked for Standard Oil in 1938 when this photo was snapped at 740 North Bancroft Street. He was later employed at Barbasol, Jones & Laughlin Steel, and other companies. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Marjorie Jones Peters grew up in Irvington. She posed with her first of four children, Donald, in 1938.  (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

Orville Peters posed with his son, Donald, in 1938 along the sidewalk leading up to 740 North Bancroft Street. Behind the pair, you can see the bungalows at 741 and 739 North Bancroft Street. (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

Little Donald Peters played with his blocks in 1938 in front of his home at 740 North Bancroft Street. You can also see the front porch of the home next door at 742 North Bancroft Street. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald Peters (right) walked up the sidewalk at 740 North Bancroft Street with an unidentified little girl in 1938. Behind the pair, you can see several houses in the 700 block of North Bancroft Street. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

A group of children gathered in front of 739 North Bancroft Street in 1938. Bert and Clara Marston resided in the home at the time. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald Peters, the son of Orville and Marjorie Peters, walked along the sidewalk leading up to 740 North Bancroft Street in February of 1938. Behind him, you can see houses in the 700 block of North Bancroft Street. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

By 1939, Orville and Marjorie Peters welcomed their second child, David. In this portrait: Orville (holding David), Donald and Marjorie Peters (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

     I wish to thank Doug Peters who generously loaned family scrapbooks and stories. 

Sources:  Interviews with Doug Peters, Summer, 2024; Wedding--"Miss Jones and Orville Peters Wed," Indianapolis Times, December 9, 1933, p. 5; Ad for 740 N. Bancroft--"For Rent," Indianapolis News, June 29, 1935, p. 13; Mothers' Club--"Mothers Club Founded at St. Matthews Church," Indianapolis News, August 20, 1939, p. 8; Wedding shower--"Kitchen Shower Tonight to Honor Jean McHatton," Indianapolis Star, July 8, 1938, p. 7; Polk's City Directory (Marion County, IN), City Directory, 1938; US Federal Census, 1940.

Postcard of Irving Circle Park-1913

      On August 19, 1913, Fern Hester of Everton, Indiana in Fayette County, received a postcard from a friend who was vacationing in Irvington. The friend, only known as P.S.M., sent an image of the Irving Circle Park and marked where they had been staying. Miss Hester was home for the summer from Moores Hill College where she had been studying to be a teacher. Her father, the Reverend Charles Hester, served as a Methodist minister and frequently moved his family around to small Indiana villages like Everton. Newspaper accounts later revealed that Miss Hester contracted typhoid fever and had to leave school to recuperate. She survived and later went on to teach in Wayne County, Indiana as well as in Santa Monica, California. She kept the postcard most likely until her death in 1983. 

     The beautiful image reveals a lovely park that still exists today. The photographer stood at the north end of the circle and aimed the camera to the south and east. He or she captured the original fountain which spouted water high into the air. The park also apparently had a wooden fence. A lush canopy obscures the homes located at 261-63 (a double) and 269 South Audubon Road. Both of those residences were less than ten years old at the time. A large view of this card exists at the Irvington Historical Society. The image likely dates to around 1912. 

The Irving Circle Park, c1912 (postcard courtesy of Kyle Kingen)

Note to Irma Fern Hester (1896-1983), 1913 (postcard courtesy of Kyle Kingen)

     I wish to thank Kyle Kingen for his submission of the postcard. 

Sources:  US Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1940, 1950; Find-a-Grave; Fern Hester's early life: : "Milton," Palladium-Item (Richmond, IN), July 25, 1912; Hester family-Dearborn Register (IN), July 1, 1909, p.1; Moores Hill--Lawrenceburg Press, April 24, 1913, p. 5; Typhoid Fever--"Moores Hill," Lawrenceburg Press, April 9, 1914, p. 3.

Nelson and Mila Shimer Lived Along Emerson Avenue for Many Years

      The Shimer family predates Irvington. Many of the descendants remained in the area for years. Nelson Shimer, who grew up on the family farm along Brookville Road, built a small cottage for his family at 422 South Emerson Avenue in the 1880s. Later, in the early twentieth century, he and his wife, Mila Murphy Shimer, greatly enlarged the residence. They needed a larger place to raise their seven children. Photos from the Chris Shimer family collection show the many changes to the house over the years. 

Nelson and Mila Shimer built a one-story cottage at 422 South Emerson Avenue in the 1880s. They quickly outgrew the residence. Pictured in this photo taken c1900: Thomas, Elizabeth (Lizzie), Mae, Clara Belle, and a cousin named Ralph Shimer. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Nelson Shimer stood next to his family home at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1900. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

The Shimers enlarged their Queen Anne style cottage into a larger American Foursquare popular in the early 1900s. The photo was likely taken c1920. (courtesy of Chris Shimer) 

Mila and Nelson Shimer posed with one of their sons c1905 at 422 South Emerson Avenue. Mr. Shimer worked on the family farm located nearby on Brookville Road and at a brick factory. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Clara Belle Shimer (later Johnson) posed with two young women in the side yard at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1915. (Photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Alfred Johnson posed with his wife, Clara Belle Shimer Johnson, c1925 at 426 South Emerson Avenue. After their marriage in 1924, they moved into a Sears-kit bungalow next to the Shimer family home. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Lillian Shimer posed near the front porch at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1925. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Lewis Grover Shimer posed with his son, Lewis V. Shimer, at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1923. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Mila Murphy Shimer (1863-1947) worked in her front yard at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1915. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Clara Belle Shimer posed with two other stylish women on the front porch of the Shimer home at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1918. Behind the young ladies you can see the house located at 459 South Grand Avenue. (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Mila Murphy Shimer posed with an unidentified family member, c1940 at 422 South Emerson Avenue (courtesy of Chris Shimer)

422 South Emerson Avenue on July 19, 2024

     I wish to thank Chris Shimer for his photos and stories of the Shimer family. 

Book Recommendation

      If you are looking for a great book to read that involves an Irvington family, then I can absolutely recommend Lost Rights: The Misadventures of a Stolen American Relic by David Howard. This true story centers around the Shotwell family, who first moved to Irvington in 1892.  Charles A. Shotwell and his wife, Clara, lived at both 104 Johnson Avenue and later at 55 South Downey Avenue. Mr. Shotwell worked for the Board of Trade in downtown Indianapolis. As a young man, he purchased a looted historic document from an Ohio Civil War veteran. As Sherman's army marched to the sea, members of his regiments stole many artifacts including North Carolina's copy of the Bill of Rights. The early founders of the Republic commissioned one copy per colony and one for the federal government. Charles Shotwell purchased an original copy of the Bill of Rights.

     David Howard takes us on a journey from Irvington to California to Broad Ripple and to the East Coast. The book reads like a thriller and I could not put it down. What happened to that original Bill of Rights? I will not spoil the story. You can find Mr. Howard's book online or at the Indianapolis Public Library. While Mr. Shotwell primarily displayed the Bill of Rights at his downtown office, the document was also likely stored in the two houses featured below. 

The Shotwells moved to Irvington in 1892 and lived in this house at 104 Johnson Avenue as early as 1900. (photo snapped in the spring of 2024)

Charles and Clara Shotwell moved from their Johnson Avenue home to this American Foursquare located at 55 South Downey Avenue. (photo snapped in the spring of 2024)

Historic Horner House Visible in Shimer Family Photos

      The Horner House located at 410 South Emerson Avenue has intrigued residents for years primarily because of its condition. No one has lived in the Second Empire residence for many decades and it has deteriorated rapidly over time. Built in 1875 as part of the Downey and Brouse Addition to Irvington, Abraham and Emma Horner were the first people to live in the home although they did not stay for long. The land upon which the house was built used to belong to the Shimer family. One Shimer descendant, Nelson and his wife Mila Murphy Shimer, also lived in the Downey and Brouse Addition at 422 South Emerson Avenue. Shimer children and grandchildren grew up next door to the grand old house and it appeared in many of their family photos in the early twentieth century. 

     Steve Barnett, the Director of the Irvington Historical Society, discovered that numerous people owned or leased the house after the Horners including the Shoemakers, Turrills, Thompsons, Risleys, Sloughs, Fleeces, Terrills, McMillans, and Minors. In the mid-twentieth century the residence served as a VFW post and was carved into several apartments. Agnes M'Culloch Hanna wrote about the elegance of the home in a 1932 Indianapolis Star article. She noted the tower and the narrow spiral walnut staircase. 

     While families moved in and out of the beautiful brick home, the Shimers who lived next door, however, remained. In the photos below, various members of their family can be seen with the Horner House in the distance. Most likely, either the Fleece or Terrill family would have lived in the grand old brick house at that time in history.  At some point in the early twentieth century, someone painted over the brick and added a more modern front porch. 

An older woman who might be Mila Murphy Shimer (left) chatted with either Francis Fleece or Mary Terrill. The young girl might be Lula Mae Shimer. The photo was likely taken c1915. Behind the women you can see the Horner House at 410 South Emerson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Elizabeth Shimer c1910; Behind her you can see the Horner House at 410 South Emerson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer, Sr. of 422 South Emerson Avenue, posed in the family yard c1918. Behind him you can see the Horner House at 410 South Emerson Avenue. An abstract for the Horner property reveals that it was built by New Albany contractors, John F. and Henry M. Cooper. Steve Barnett believes that there is a strong possibility that George Cooper might have been the architect. If you look closely, you can see some ornamental ironwork atop the tower. The Irvington Historical Society located at 5350 University Avenue has some of the iron work on display in a case. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Elizabeth Shimer of 422 South Emerson Avenue with her bobbed hair posed near the Horner House at 410 South Emerson Avenue c1922 (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Alfred H. Johnson, the husband of Clara Belle Shimer Johnson, parked his vehicle along the Shimer driveway at 422 South Emerson Avenue c1925. Behind him you can see the Horner House at 410 South Emerson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

     From 2011 to 2016, Amanda Browning, who owned the Horner House at the time, wrote an amazing blog on the story of the residence. You can see incredible interior and exterior photos along with historic images on her site. Her mother, Mary Williams, also contributed to the blog. 

Horner House Project

Special thanks to Steve Barnett, Amanda Browning, Anne Hardwick, Ron Huggler, and Chris Shimer

Sources:  Steve Barnett, "410 South Emerson--Horner House," Unpublished history of the home, Irvington Historical Society; Agnes M'Culloch Hanna, "Old Houses With Towers Examples of Dignified Style of Architecture," Indianapolis Star, February 14, 1932; Amanda Browning, "Horner House Project," Blog, 2011-2016; Indianapolis City Directories; Federal Census Records. 

Ladies Gathered on Former Church Steps

      In 1909, the Presbyterians of Irvington worshipped in their newly-constructed brick church located at the intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues. The congregation eventually outgrew the structure and erected a Gothic-inspired building in 1928. Long before that, however, a group of smartly-dressed young women gathered on the steps for a group photo. We do not know the names of the young ladies, but the image came from the Shimer family. The shadow of the leafless tree on the church indicates that this might have been an Easter Day c1918. 

Young ladies posed on the steps of the Irvington Presbyterian Church c1918. (Courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Emerson Avenue Home Then and Now

      Little has changed over the decades of the home located at 246 South Emerson Avenue. Likely built around 1909, the first residents were Willis and Alfretta (Etta) Porter along with their son, Cap Harold and Myrtle.  The 1910 and 1920 Federal Census records indicated that Mr. Porter worked as a pressman for a local printer. The couple also appeared to have rented a room to a married Butler University couple, Elvin and Alice Daniels. The pair had a short commute to classes as Butler was just across the street from the Porter home. At some point, a member of the Shimer family, who lived a couple of houses away, snapped two images of the relatively-new home sometime around 1915. The Porters would easily recognize their former home today. 

246 South Emerson Avenue c1915 (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

246 South Emerson along with the neighboring houses c1915 (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

246 South Emerson Avenue in the winter of 2024. 

Information for this post came from Indianapolis city directories, federal census records. Regarding the Daniels family: Tipton Daily Tribune, February 3, 1914, 6.