Photos Emerge of an Early House in Irvington

     While we still have much to learn, the Irvington Historical Society recently acquired two fascinating historic photographs that show the evolution and changes in the residence located at 116 South Audubon Road. A friend of the Society alerted a board member that the photos were on Ebay. We leapt into action and thankfully acquired the images. Here is what we know so far...

    The Reverend James Monroe Crawford and his wife Clarissa or Clara Golay Crawford employed an unknown architect and contractor to erect a two-story Second-Empire home with a tower along Central Avenue (later Audubon Road) in 1872. Like many men of his age, Mr. Crawford had side jobs including as a realtor and businessman. The couple had eight children although it appears that only five lived into adulthood.  Reverend Crawford, served as a chaplain during the Civil War, and later was the minister for the Sixth Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Like many of the early residents of the neighborhood, the Crawfords struggled financially after the economic Panic of 1873. Newspaper articles in the 1870s revealed their struggle including a bankruptcy in 1878. They moved out of Irvington in 1879 and into the Fletcher Place neighborhood before moving to Ohio and then California. 

      The 1880s are still a bit murky for us at the moment, but we do know that entrepreneur, Robert E. Moore and his wife Jessie Ann Harvey Moore, purchased the home in 1890. Mr. Moore constructed Moore's Hall next door in 1892 on the northwest corner of South Audubon Road and Bonna Avenue. At three stories, it was one of the tallest buildings in Irvington and housed businesses, offices, a lodge, and at least one Butler University fraternity. The Moores had six children and were very involved in the neighborhood. Mrs. Moore hosted numerous clubs, most of which were affiliated with Downey Avenue Christian Church. For reasons yet unknown, the couple decided to completely remodel the home around 1906. So far, we have found no evidence of a fire so perhaps they just wanted a more modern look. Maybe they needed more room. We do not know, but the transformation was a shocking one. The Moores changed the mansard roof in favor of a hipped one. They removed part of the tower and added dormers. They extended a front porch but kept a lower bay window. They also preserved the original nineteenth-century interior staircase. It was an astounding makeover. In fact, we had no idea until we saw these photographs that any of the original nineteenth-century house even remained, but it does! 

    After Mr. Moore's death in 1919, Mrs. Moore and her youngest son moved in with other family members in Irvington. Eventually the home was sold and was extensively remodeled for a third time. This time the historic home was converted into several apartments in 1924. Moore's Hall, located at Audubon Road and Bonna Avenue was razed by 1938. 

      We do not know why these two important images ended up in Michigan and eventually on Ebay, but we are happy that these important artifacts have come home. 

The Moore family purchased 116 South Audubon Road in 1890. On the back of the photo, someone has written, "the Robert Moore home before the remodeling." If the woman on the front porch is Mrs. Moore, then the young child would likely be Robert or Richard. That would date the photo somewhere between 1893 to 1897. If the boy is her youngest son, Joseph, then the photo would date to 1902. It is entirely possible that it is not Mrs. Moore on the front porch. Steve Barnett, the director of the Irvington Historical speculates that the photo could predate the Moore family. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Robert and Jessie Moore dramatically changed the residence located at 116 South Audubon Road sometime around 1905. The boys in the photograph are most likely Richard and Joseph Moore. On the back of the photo, someone has written, "The Robert Moore home after the remodeling." Reed's Photographic Services on Alabama Street in Indianapolis was also stamped on the back. Steve Barnett, the director of the Irvington Historical Society, discovered that Reed's was in operation from 1904 until 1910. (photo courtesy of Irvington Historical Society) 

In 1924, the home located at 116 South Audubon Road underwent another significant transformation as it was turned into the "Sinaia" apartments. (photo take on December 21, 2021)

 

The original nineteenth-staircase (1872) still exists in the residence--now apartments--at 116 South Audubon Road. (photo taken on December 21, 2021)

The original family, the Crawfords, walked up and down this curved staircase at 116 South Audubon Road from 1872 until their departure in 1879. (photo taken on December 28, 2021)

The Crawford house appeared in the Real Estate Gazette in 1873 as a promotional for the new town of Irvington. (courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society) 

Robert E. Moore constructed Moore's Hall at 132 South Audubon Road in 1892. The three-story structure was demolished in the late 1930s. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

 I wish to thank Steve Barnett, the director of the Irvington Historical Society for his vast knowledge of all things Irvington. I would also like to thank Joan Hostetler, Deedee Davis, Jon Oliger, Paula Schmidt, Steve Schmidt, Don Flick, Paul Diebold, and Clay Daugherty.

Irvington Historical Society

Sources: Crawford family--financial issues--Indiana State Sentinel, July 29, 1875; Indiana State Sentinel,  July 31, 1878; Bankruptcy--Indianapolis News, September 9, 1878, 4; Minister--Indianapolis News,  February 12, 1870, 4; Indianapolis News, April 10, 1879; Indianapolis News,  August 16, 1880. 4; Moore family--"Funeral of Robert E. Moore," Indianapolis News, August 11, 1919, 3; Moore's Hall--"Irvington News," Indianapolis News, August 22, 1892, 2; Mrs. Moore--"The Irvington Woman's Club," Indianapolis News, August 9, 1904, 26; "Modern German Art," Indianapolis Star, February 27, 1910, 5; "New of the Churches," Indianapolis Star, June 28, 1911; "Social Side to Churches," Indianapolis News, February 7, 1917, 5; Apartment conversion--"116 S. Audubon Road," Indianapolis Star, May 20, 1924, 17.

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. 

Brown's Hill Was a Popular Sledding Site

     Newspaper publisher Hilton U. Brown and his wife Jennie Hannah Brown purchased five acres of land on the southwest corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue in 1891 for $3500. Mr. Brown first heard about the opportunity from an Irvington realtor named Charles W. Brouse. The property came complete with a pioneer farmhouse previously owned by the Weesner and White families. Mr. Brown demolished that residence but used the hewn walnut and oak timbers for a barn that an Englishman named Hector Fuller constructed on the site. The Browns erected a large home on the site using boulders from the nearby Pleasant Run stream. The couple raised their ten children on the expansive grounds complete with an orchard and an ice house built into the hill near the stream. 

     Soon after the home was finished, the Browns allowed local children to sled down the hill. Mr. Brown did have rules for the children. They were not to quarrel nor to throw snowballs. Over the decades thousands of local children flocked to the site. Jean Brown Wagoner, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brown and an author, noted in one of her newspaper columns that, "It made a fellow suck in his breath and then let out a yell as he started down." With the arrival of spring, the Browns frequently had to reseed the hill to keep it from being a muddy mess. 

    Over time, the Brown children moved out. Mrs. Brown died first, but Mr. Brown lived on until the age of 99. He passed away on September 20, 1958. His family sold the property to the Washington and Emerson Corporation shortly after his death. Several people in the neighborhood wondered what would become of the grand old place. Grace Booth Bay, in an Indianapolis News newspaper article, called for the home to be a senior home. She had grown up near the residence and remembered the boulders being put into place. Others hoped it would be turned into a museum. Some thought it might become a funeral home. On May 15, 1959, vandals broke into the empty house and broke windows, tore off a fireplace mantel, and littered the house with material they snatched from desk drawers. 

     Without public input, the community likely reacted with shock on June 24, 1959, as a crew began to demolish the beautiful home. The hill, however, remained for another ten years. Sledders continued to fly down the slope. Then, despite public opposition, including from Mayor Richard Lugar, the Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals (Division 2) allowed Howard Fieber, the President of Washington and Emerson Corporation, to flatten Brown's Hill for a filling station.  Today, the laughter and thrills from that incline linger on in memories and in photographs like those below. 

The Widner brothers, who lived on Farrington Avenue, enjoyed a slide down Brown's Hill c1962. Across the street, you can see the Forsyth family home at 15 South Emerson Avenue. William Forsyth was a renown-impressionistic artist. He purchased the house in 1908 from the Parker family, who predated the foundation of Irvington. Developers razed that home in 1966 or 1967 for a filling station. You can also see the double located at 25-27 South Emerson Avenue and the cottage next door at 29 South Emerson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Estate of Frank N. Widner)

This view of Brown's Hill was snapped in 1962 from the Forsyth property at 15 South Emerson Avenue. The Brown mansion had already been torn down, but the hill still existed on the southwest corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. It was later flattened for a filling station. (photo courtesy of Susan Forsyth Selby Sklar Collection at the Irvington Historical Society)

Hilton U. and Jennie Hannah Brown built their stunning home at 5087 East Washington Street on a hill in 1892 at the southwest corner of Washington and Emerson Avenue. It was demolished in 1959 and the hill was removed in 1969 for a filling station. This photo shows the home in a publication celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the neighborhood in 1912. (image courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Robert Selby, the son-in-law of William and Alice Forsyth, painted this image of Brown's Hill. You can also see the Brown home in the painting. (photo courtesy of Irvington Historical Society) 

     I would like to thank members of the Widner family and Susan Forsyth Selby Sklar for their incredible photographs and Paula Schmidt, the archivist at the Irvington Historical Society. 

Sources:  Information about the construction of the Brown home and the rules for sledding on Brown's Hill--Hilton U. Brown, A Book of Memories, Old Swimmin' Hole Press, Greenfield, IN, pp 278-288; Jean Brown Wagoner, "Downhill All the Way," Indianapolis News, December 23, 1975, 13; Last years of the Brown home and hill--"Hilton U. Brown Home Sold, Indianapolis News, March 31, 1959, 15; Wayne Guthrie, "When Mary's Marry, It's a Grand Mix-up," Indianapolis News, April 15, 1959, 13; "Hilton U. Brown Home Entered by Vandals," Indianapolis Star, May 16, 1959, 4; "Landmark Passes," Indianapolis News, June 24, 1959, 23; Art Harris, "Brown's Snowy Hill May Lose its Slide," Indianapolis News, October 12, 1968, 1;  Wayne Guthrie, "Efforts to Save the Hill Laudable," Indianapolis News, February 6, 1969; "Saving Brown's Hill," Indianapolis News, April 21, 1969, 6; Letter to Editor, Mary Elizabeth Ramier, "Disenfranchised," Indianapolis News, June 9, 1969, 9; Information William Forsyth family--Rachel Berenson Perry, William J. Forsyth: The Life and Work of an Indiana Artist, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2014. 

Family Life Along Lowell Avenue in the Early 20th Century

     William E.M. and Pearl Conner Hackleman moved into their beautiful home at 5438 Lowell Avenue in 1903. The residence was both a blend of the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Their four children, Florence, Grace, Edwin, and Gladys spent their early years in the house. Income from Mr. Hackleman's thriving religious music company allowed the children to enjoy the comforts of middle-class American life. All of the children graduated from high school and three of them later earned college degrees. The Hacklemans moved from the home in 1922 after nineteen years of living in Irvington. Their next home was located at 1201 North Alabama Street in the Old Northside neighborhood of Indianapolis. 

Gladys and Edwin Hackleman of 5438 Lowell Avenue teeter tottered in the side yard of their property c1911. You can also see a glimpse of 5442 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

The sandbox in the backyard at 5438 Lowell Avenue also served as an arbor during the summer months. Gladys, Grace, and Edwin Hackleman posed for the photo c1910. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Mary Jane Conner, the grandmother of the Hackleman children, enjoyed a game of croquet with her grandchildren in the side yard at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Gladys and Edwin Hackleman played with miniature train cars on their front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

The Hackleman children, Grace, Edwin (in the carriage), and Florence, posed in their backyard at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1907. Behind the children, you can see the carriage house and a residence located at 333 Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Gladys and Edwin Hackleman posed with a wagon at 5438 Lowell avenue c1911 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Edwin Hackleman posed near his front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910. Behind him, you can see the side of 5442 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Little Gladys Hackleman sat for this snapshot on her front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Gladys Hackleman walked with her baby doll and carriage c1911. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Gladys Hackleman drove her toy car in front of her home at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1911. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Florence and Gladys Hackleman stood near their front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910. Behind the kids, you can also see the residence located at 5442 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Edwin and Grace Hackleman posed with kittens on their front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1907 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

Florence Hackleman pulled her siblings, Grace and Edwin and the family dog c1907. Behind the family, you can see the carriage house located at 5438 Lowell Avenue and a distant barn located behind 5428 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Edwin Hackleman beamed as he posed next to his tricycle near his front porch at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1909 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

A large gathering of young girls met on the front porch at the Hackleman home at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1910. Behind the group you can also see the side of 5442 Lowell Avenue. Was this a birthday party? A Sunday School class? A Girl Scout meeting? We do not know. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

5438 Lowell Avenue c1905 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

The Hackleman siblings of 5438 Lowell Avenue (in birth order): Florence, Grace, Edwin, and Gladys c1910 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

    I would like to thank Anne Gribble Spurgeon for the use of her images and stories. She is the great grand daughter of William Edward Michael and Pearl Conner Hackleman and the granddaughter of Gladys Hackleman and Wayne Carson. 

The "Singing Evangelist" and His Family Move to Irvington

            On October 17, 1909, a forty-one-year-old choir director and composer, mounted a wooden box at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In front of him were around 30,000 people who silently awaited his direction. As soon as he gave the signal, eight cornet players stepped forward and dramatically performed for the crowd who had gathered from all corners of the United States. Some had come from as far away as Japan. They were there to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Disciples of Christ. So many people had showed up in Pittsburgh that the city had run out of hotel rooms. Many of the faithful lodged with families near the convention. Forbes Field had only recently opened as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The crack of the bat and the cheers from the crowd were the most common sounds emanating out the park, but on that Sunday morning anyone strolling near the stadium would have heard thousands singing in unison, "Nearer My God to Thee," "Onward Christian Soldiers," and "My Country Tis of Thee" all organized and led by a talented musician from Irvington, Indiana named William Edward Michael Hackleman. 

William Edward Michael Hackleman (1868-1927) was a talented musician and composer. Besides being a talented vocalist, he also played the cornet. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

William E. M. Hackleman spent much of his life on the road directing and singing in choirs in the Disciples of Christ churches. In this photo (c1905), he posed next to an unidentified structure possibly in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

     Born in 1868 near Orange, Indiana in Fayette County, young William Hackleman showed much musical aptitude at an early age. He attended the Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana and later the prestigious Toronto Conservatory of Music. In Canada he studied voice under Francesco D'Auria, an Italian composer of religious music. He returned to Indiana and immediately made a name for himself as a gospel singer, cornet player, choir director, and composer. He also became a music publisher. In 1896, he and another Disciples of Christ minister named Reverend E.B. Scofield purchased a bookstore at 15 Virginia Avenue in Indianapolis and called the new venture Scofield and Hackleman. They sold bibles and hymnals. In 1897, he started his own publishing company and one of his hymnals, Gospel Songs, was sold around the country.

     When he wasn't writing Christian hymns, William traveled the state and nation. His musical talents were in high demand at Disciples of Christ revivals and services. Local newspapers called him the "Singing Evangelist." He spent many of his summers working at Bethany Park in Morgan County, Indiana. At some point, he came in contact with the Reverend Americus Conner and his wife Mary Jane Conner. Reverend Conner came from a long line of ministers and was very involved at Bethany Park. The Conners also had a daughter named Pearl. William and Pearl were married by her father and two of her uncles on September 12, 1899, at the Conner home in Irvington.

     At first, the Hacklemans lived in the Conner house at 5522 East Washington Street, but all of that changed after 3:00 A.M. on November 20, 1901, when the home burned to the ground. Thankfully, neither the Conners nor the Hacklemans were home so no one perished; however, neighbors who arrived on the scene thought that Mr. Hackleman's mother might be trapped on the second floor. One brave young Butler University college student, James Baldwin, crawled upstairs to rescue her, but she was sleeping in another part of town. Not long after Mr. Baldwin exited, the two-story frame home began to collapse. A chimney narrowly missed Charles E. Newlin, a member of the fire brigade. 

     After the fire both families rebuilt separate homes at the intersection of Lowell Avenue and Whittier Place. The Conners built a large two-story home at 88 Whittier Place while the Hacklemans erected a beautiful two-story home at 5438 Lowell Avenue. Both dwellings were completed by 1903. Mr. Hackleman kept up his busy pace of writing and arranging hymns. Often he would compose the music while others would write the words. He also spent much of the year away from his beautiful home and his wife and four children. 

William E.M. and Pearl Conner Hackleman built this home at 5438 Lowell Avenue in 1903. You can also see the nearby residence of 5428 Lowell Avenue. (photo--c1905, courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Members of the Hackleman family at 5438 Lowell Avenue gathered for a photograph c1910 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

William E.M. Hackleman's comfortable income from the sale of religious hymnals and other investments allowed the Hackleman family to live in this beautiful house at 5438 Lowell Avenue for many years.  (photo--c1905, courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Columns and fretwork framed the music room at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1905. Mr. Hackleman likely arranged or composed many of his pieces in this room. The ornamental fretwork was removed and stored in the attic by a later family. Later, the ornamental woodwork was removed from the house. Recently, most of the pieces have been returned to the current owners of the home. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

The Hackleman home at 5438 Lowell Avenue reflected the tastes of early twentieth-century middle class Americans. (photo--c1905, courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

The Hackleman family dining room at 5438 Lowell Avenue c1905 (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

     Locally, Mr. Hackleman attended Downey Avenue Christian Church and frequently led the choir there. He also became very active in the Irvington Citizen's League. Some of the more conservative members of the community became concerned by the number of locals who came into the neighborhood to picnic, often drinking beer. He called for an ordinance banning these merry afternoons, but nothing much came of it. In 1907, he had to retract a statement attributed to him in a Louisville, Kentucky Christian tract. In the brief article, Mr. Hackleman alleged that Butler University allowed Sunday baseball games when in fact the institution did not allow sporting events on that day. Mr. Hackleman quickly tried to tamper down the uproar and admitted his error in an Indianapolis Journal article. 

     The story didn't seem to damage his reputation as he was in higher demand than ever as a singer, director, and composer culminating in that historic moment in Pittsburgh in 1909 with 30,000 people singing in unison. 

Next Post: The Hackleman children grow up in Irvington....

The Hacklemans of 5438 Lowell Avenue had four children survive into adulthood: Florence (1900-1989), Grace (1902-1999), Edwin (1905-1975), and Gladys (1908-2000)  (photo--c1910, courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

     I would like to thank Anne Gribble Spurgeon, the great granddaughter of William E. M. and Pearl Conner Hackleman, for the images and stories about her family. I would also like to thank Brenda DeVries and Kyle Boot for a tour and additional information about the Hackleman home. 

Sources: Pittsburgh Convention--"Impressive," Evening Review (East Liverpool, OH), October 18, 1909, 1; "Rooms Wanted," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 23, 1909; Wm. E. M. Hackleman early years--"News and Notes," The Muncie Daily Herald, January 25, 1896, 8; "W.E.M. Hackleman Killed in Auto Crash," Indianapolis Star, October 4, 1927, 1; Bookstore and publishing--"Purchase a City Bookstore," Columbus Republican (IN), September 15, 1898; Ad for Silver and Gold in Song by W.E.M. Hackleman, Indianapolis News,  June 18, 1898 and Herald & Review (Decatur, IL), September 2, 1899, 5; Singing Evangelist title--"Big Revival at Christian Church," Knightstown Banner (IN), February 17, 1911, 1 and The Muncie Daily Herald, January 25, 1896, 8; Bethany Park--"Bethany Notes," Indianapolis Journal, August 1, 1902, 3; Marriage--Indianapolis Journal, September 13, 1899, 3; Fire--"Irvington House Destroyed," Indianapolis News, November 20, 1901, 8; Music composing with others like Mrs. Adelia Pope of Greenfield, Indiana--"Local Brevities," Rushville Republican, March 21, 1902, 4; Involvement with Downey Ave. Christian Church--"Series of Hymn Services," Indianapolis News, February 8, 1908, 22; Irvington Citizens League--"To Oppose Beer Picnics," March 26, 1900, 5; Butler University Baseball Controversy--"The Guide Retracts," Indianapolis Journal, August 21, 1902, 3;