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;