New York Street Home Then and Now

 

       Sometime in the mid-1940s, a member of the Shimer family snapped an image of Edna Webster Shimer as she walked up to her home at 5815 East New York Street. The Shimers were active members of the nearby Irvington Methodist Church, so it is possible that she was coming home from a service. Behind her in the photograph, you can see the bungalow located across the street at 5814 East New York Street. Robert and Celestine Ratz Glassmeyer along with their three children, Robert Jr., Joanie, and Richard resided in that home. The Glassmeyers had lived in the house since the late 1920s. Amazingly, their residence looks much the same today as it did nearly 80 years ago when Mrs. Shimer came home on a winter or early spring day. 

Edna Webster Shimer walks up to her home at 5815 East New York Street c1945. Behind her, you can see the Glassmeyer bungalow at 5814 East New York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

The bungalow located at 5814 East New York Street looks much as did in the late 1920s when the Glassmeyers moved into the house. (photo snapped December, 2023)

     I wish to thank Chris Shimer and Therese Glassmeyer for their help with this post. 

Shimer Family Purchased New York Street Bungalow

      Thomas and Edna Webster Shimer bought their relatively new bungalow at 5815 East New York Street in 1930. They were not the first family to reside in the home. Werner and Irene Monninger and their young daughter, Gloria, lived in the house from 1926 until 1930. Mr. Monninger, a World War One veteran, taught at Arsenal Technical High School while Mrs. Monninger studied art at the Herron Art School. She later made a name for herself painting portraits. In 1930 they moved south of Irvington to 2160 South Ritter Avenue.

     Thomas Sylvester Shimer and Edna Webster Shimer had been married for nearly nine years when they purchased their forever home on New York Street in Irvington. Their son, Thomas, Jr., was only four years old when they moved in. Photos from their early years in the home show the young boy playing outside and celebrating Christmas. 

     Mr. Shimer worked as a safety engineer with his father-in-law, Dana Webster, at the Aetna Insurance Company. The job provided stability for the family as he remained with the company for 43 years. As a World War One veteran, he joined the local American Legion Post No. 38 and occasionally served as an officer. Mrs. Shimer stayed home and raised their son. Newspaper articles reveal that she served on the PTA for School #57 and that she hosted the Mother Study Club. She also had some musical talent and that seems to have passed to her son, Thomas Jr. He later became a jazz lover and played the saxophone for most of his life. 

     The Shimers were members of the Irvington Methodist Church so they could easily walk to Sunday services. Thomas Shimer, Jr. graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1944 and received a scholarship to study at the University of Cincinnati although World War II briefly affected those plans. In 1951, the Shimers walked down to the Methodist Church to witness the marriage of their only son to Carol Thompson. Later, they also proudly watched as he became an architect. In fact, he designed numerous hospitals in the state of Indiana including some of the wings for Community Hospital East. 

     Thomas Shimer retired from Aetna Insurance in 1962. In 1967, he died in the hospital designed by his son, Community East. He was 69 years old. Mrs. Shimer continued to live in the bungalow for many more years; however, due to her age she had to move into a nursing home run by the Methodists in Franklin, Indiana. She passed away in 2000 at the age of 100 years old. Thomas Shimer, Jr. passed away in 2012 at the age of 86. 

Edna Webster Shimer and Thomas Shimer, Sr. posed in their living room at 5815 East New York Street with their son Thomas, Jr. sometime in the early 1930s. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer, Jr. posed next to the family Christmas tree c1930 at 5815 East New York Street. Under the tree that morning appears to be a miniature Christmas village scene. As an adult, Thomas Shimer, Jr. had his own architectural firm in the city of Indianapolis. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer) 

Mila Murphy Shimer posed with her daughter-in-law, Edna Webster Shimer, and her grandson, Thomas Shimer, Jr, c1930 in the front yard of 5815 East New York Street. The home most visible in the photo is 5819 East New York Street. The Cheney family lived in that house at the time of the photo. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer, Jr. posed along the sidewalk at 5815 East New York Street c1930 after a snowfall in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

For much of the twentieth century, the Shimer family resided at 5815 East New York Street. (photo snapped on December 8, 2023)

          I wish to thank Chris Shimer and Sheri Piland for their help with this post.  

Sources:  Irene Monninger--Lucille Morehouse, "Portrait is of Interest to Art and Theater," Indianapolis Star, August 5, 1945; "Irene Monninger Liked Art, Music," Indianapolis News, June 13, 1964, 6; Werner Monninger--"Former Teacher Dies in Florida," Indianapolis Star, May 19, 1961; Thomas Shimer, Sr--"Thomas Shimer Dies, Retired Safety Engineer," Indianapolis Star, January 16, 1967, 33; Edna Webster Shimer--online obituary, 2000; "Mother Study Club," Indianapolis Star, November 14, 1937, 50; Thomas Shimer, Jr. --online obituary, 2012; Scholarship--Indianapolis Star, June 27, 1944; "Carol Anne Thompson, T.S. Shimer, Jr. To Wed," Indianapolis Star, December 17, 1950; Community Hospital--Indianapolis Star, May 31, 1964, 2; 1930 Federal Census; Polk's City Directory for Indianapolis.

Family Hosted Wedding in Bosart Avenue Home

 

A Beautiful Day for a Wedding--Saturday, April 2, 1921

     Residents near the intersection of North Bosart Avenue and East New York Street likely noticed many cars parked along the nearby streets. By 3:00 PM, the sun was out and the temperature neared 60 degrees. It was a perfect day to host a wedding in Irvington. If the neighbors opened their windows at that hour they would have heard Elizabeth Engle's rendition of the bridal chorus on the Webster family piano at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Miss Engle took piano lessons from Edna Webster and it was time for her most important recital thus far. 

The Websters Move to Irvington

     Dana and Annie Dicks Webster first moved to Indianapolis from New England in 1906. Mr. Webster had been hired by the Aetna Insurance Company as a safety engineer. They first lived on North Central Avenue, but by 1916 the Webster family, including daughters Arline and Edna, moved into their newly-built home at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Today, we know this area of Irvington as the Bosart-Brown neighborhood. Mr. Webster's name appeared in newspapers all over the state of Indiana as he was in high demand as a guest speaker about worker safety. Mrs. Webster stayed home to raise their two daughters. She was an outstanding seamstress and during the war years she knitted for the Red Cross and later for Goodwill industries. Both Arline and Edna graduated from Arsenal Technical High School and Arline attended Purdue University. Later, long after both girls had moved out and married, Mr. Webster became upset by the tax increases upon his Bosart Avenue property and in 1938 he led a successful petition drive to lower the tax rate in the city. On this day, however, his mind was focused on his daughter, Edna and her soon-to-be husband, Thomas Shimer. 

Annie Dicks Webster wore a "Harding blue" dress on the day of her daughter's wedding in 1921. Both Mr. and Mrs. Webster, who were in their mid-forties, posed along their sidewalk at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Behind the couple, you can see the home of Agnes Haddow at 133 North Bosart Avenue and in the distance you can see the Morrow home at 4702 East York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

The Shimer Family Pre-dates the Founding of Irvington

     Edna Webster had been born in Connecticut, but her fiance, Thomas Shimer, had been born into a family who had lived in the area since the early nineteenth century. The Shimers owned farms along Brookville Road for decades. By 1921, they had sold off much of the land and lived in various houses along South Emerson Avenue. Nelson Shimer, the father of Thomas, was ten years old when founders, Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson, began buying land north of the Shimer farm for a planned community named Irvington. In his lifetime, he watched as developers and contractors built houses and commercial structures on former meadows and woodland. By 1921, Nelson had retired from farming as he was 61 years old. Mila Murphy Shimer had been busy on the farm as she helped raise nine children. For many decades the couple resided at 422 South Emerson Avenue so their commute to the Webster home would have been a short one.  

Nelson Shimer was 61 on the day of his son's wedding, while Mila was 59. They lived nearby on South Emerson Avenue. In this photo, they stood along the sidewalk belonging to the Webster family of 131 North Bosart Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer and Edna Webster Marry

     With Miss Engle playing the piano, sixty guests crammed into the home attempted to watch as Edna Webster and Thomas Shimer took their vows in front of the fireplace at 131 North Bosart Avenue. The couple stood near lattice work buttressed by ferns. Greenery and flowers draped the nearby staircase and even from the hanging lights. Ralph Shimer, the groom's cousin, served as the best man while Arline Webster, Edna's older sister, served as the maid of honor. Both Thomas and Arline had graduated from Arsenal Technical School. Did they meet there? We do not know. Thomas served his country during World War One and had found work in the insurance industry upon his return. Following their honeymoon, the couple took up residence in the Spink-Arms Apartments at the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Downey Avenue. 

Thomas Shimer and Edna Webster married at her home at 131 North Bosart Avenue on April 2, 1921. The couple would eventually move into a bungalow at 5815 East New York Street in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

131 North Bosart Avenue along with 133 North Bosart and 4702 East New York Street on December 4, 2023. 102 years earlier, a wedding took place at this house. 

Sources:  I wish to thank Chris Shimer for his help with this post. About the actual day--"Wedding," Indianapolis News, April 2, 1921, 14; Mrs. Webster--"Annie Webster Dies at Hospital," Indianapolis News, July 26, 1957, 5; Mr. Webster and tax revolt--"Taxpayers Unite in Strong Demand for Heavy Slashes," Indianapolis News, August 31, 1938, 1. Federal Census Records for 1920; Polk's City Directory for 1916-1921. 

Emerson Avenue Used to Have a Median Strip

    

     In the early twentieth century, local Irvington residents traveled on many brick streets including South Emerson Avenue. Additionally, this particular stretch of Emerson also had a median with grass and flowers separating the lanes. The homes most visible in the photograph below were 218 and 216-14 South Emerson Avenue. If the photographer had turned to the right, you would have seen Butler University. Students and professors who exited via the western side of campus would have viewed a beautiful street. Later, city officials removed the medians and paved over the brick as the street became a major thoroughfare. 

A grass and flower median used to separate the traffic lanes in the 200 block of South Emerson Avenue, c1910 (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Google Streetview of the 200 block of South Emerson Avenue (August, 2019)

Pennsylvania Railroad Had a Double Track Through Marion County.

 

     Sometime around the year 1910, a member of the Shimer family crossed South Emerson Avenue and took a photograph of the double tracks at the Pennsylvania Railroad. If the photographer had turned ever so slightly to the right, you would have seen the campus of Butler University. The lighter colored home in the far left of the image is the rear of 152 South Spencer Avenue. The home next to the utility pole is 159 South Spencer Avenue. Both homes still stand in 2023. After the last rail company abandoned the tracks in the later part of the twentieth century, various people bought the land and constructed houses or expanded their yards near this section of the former line. Looking at this photograph, it is easy to see why some Butler professors complained about the noise of nearby trains in the middle of their lecture. 

Pennsylvania Railroad tracks at South Emerson Avenue in Irvington c1910 (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Site of former Pennsylvania Railroad tracks as seen by Google Streetview in August of 2019. 

New York Street House Visible in Historic Photo

      Charles S. Townsend took out a building permit for 5821 East New York Street in 1910.  While Mr. Townsend may have been responsible for the construction of the house, the first person to reside in it was Abraham Shortridge, for whom both the high school and the road is named. That he was able to do so was quite amazing as the elderly man had been struck by a traction car near his farm east of Irvington in 1906 and lost part of a leg. After the accident, he convalesced at his son's home on Lowell Avenue. City directories indicate that the beloved educator lived in his new two-story home intermittently throughout the 1910s. 

The Coons Family

      George (known as Elmer) and Helen Schneider Coons likely moved into the New York Street home in 1918. It is unclear when they purchased the home, but a World War I draft card belonging to Mr. Coons lists him at the New York Street address. The card also noted that Mr. Coons was 38 years old and an unemployed laborer with a broken collar bone. Helen Coons came from a prominent German family in Hanover, Indiana. The couple had eight children so they likely needed a larger home. Don Rouse, the great grandson of Elmer and Helen Coons, had always heard that Elmer Coons had likely built the home. Mr. Coons was a Jack-of-all-trades and worked in a variety of jobs in construction and plumbing. 

     For the next four decades, the Coons family resided at 5821 East New York Street. Like any family, they celebrated many joyful moments and endured some tragedies. In 1923, the Indianapolis Times reported that Katherine Coons was part of a dance troupe known as the Indianapolis Follies. They performed at the Lyric Theater. One of their sons, Paul, helped to organize a bike race in Irvington in 1931 on the grounds of the former campus of Butler University. Several of their children married while living in the house. Shadows fell over the family after the death of two sons at a young age, and Mr. Coons died suddenly of a heart attack in 1926 at the plumbing business where he worked. He was only 47 years old leaving Mrs. Coons with the task of rearing their children and managing the house.

     Months after the death of Elmer Coons, an ad appeared in the Indianapolis Star that read, 3-room apt. for rent; furnished, sink, gas range, $6. In order to keep the home, Mrs. Coons turned the house into a duplex. She took out a building permit in 1929 so perhaps that is when she changed the porch and added a door onto the west side of the house. Numerous renters lived in the home throughout the twentieth century. She also covered the clapboard exterior with asphalt siding. A later owner clad the home in aluminum siding. After Mrs. Coons passed away in 1966, the family sold the property. 

     For the past several years, the home has been empty and work has started and stopped. Recently, building permits have appeared in the window so there is hope that the Shortridge-Coons home will see better days. 

     

Thomas Shimer, Jr., who lived at 5815 East New York Street, posed for this winter photograph c1931. Behind him, you can see 5821, 5823, 5825, and 5829 East New York Street. Besides the Coons family, the Timmons, Schaeffer, and Treat families resided in this block in the early 1930s. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

A close up of the photograph taken in 1931 reveals the original front porch of 5821 East New York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Helen Schneider Coons turned 5821 East New York Street into a duplex after the death of her husband in 1926. In this photograph, snapped in 1950, you can see that the home has been clad in asphalt siding and had a newer front porch. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

5821 East New York Street has been changed many times since 1910. Currently, the asphalt siding has been removed and building permits are in the window. (November, 2023)

The Coons family resided in 5821 East New York Street from 1918 until 1966. They posed for this photograph in 1920. Top Row: Anna, Ruth, Katherine, Elmer, Forest; Seated: Paul, Esther, Helen, and Carl. One son, Clarence, had already died. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse) 

     I wish to thank Don Rouse and Steve Barnett for their help with this post. It is possible that the house might have been moved onto the lot in 1910 as the architectural style reflects an earlier era. More research is needed. 

Sources:  Katherine Coons and the Indianapolis Follies--Indianapolis Times, June 7, 1; Paul Coons and the bike race--Indianapolis Star, September 4, 1931; Helen Coons--building permit--Indianapolis Star, August 29, 1929, 19; For rent ad--Indianapolis Star, September 26, 1926, 25; Polk's Indianapolis City Directories 1909-1966; Research by Steve Barnett at the Irvington Historical Society; Don Rouse, the great grandson of Elmer and Helen Coons. 

Local Woman Operated a Library Near the White House

     The Anderson Cemetery sits along East Tenth Street north and east of Irvington. Many older families in eastern Marion County are buried there. Some of the tombstones date back to the 1850s. One of those interred under an unassuming tombstone is Lucy L. McClain Hunter. (1840-1888). For the past couple of years, my friend and fellow local historian, Anne Hardwick, and I have been uploading information about the people buried here onto Find-a-Grave. Anne meticulously makes connections and builds family trees on the site. Researching nineteenth-century rural women can be challenging. So, when I encountered Lucy Hunter I assumed that there would be little information about her. I could not have been more wrong. 

     I first searched for her obituary in the Indianapolis newspapers. Few nineteenth-century women in rural Marion County received much notice in local papers but I always start there. As I suspected, I found very little other than a funeral notice so I assumed that I had reached a dead end. Something told me to dig deeper. Was Lucy guiding me from beyond the grave? Amazingly, I did find her but not in Indianapolis. She turned up in Washington D.C. 

Portrait of Lucy McClain Hunter (Courtesy of Google Books: John Collins McClain, Sidelines of a Business Man or the Meanderings of a Sigma Chi, Salt Lake City, 1913)

The Hunters and the McClains

     Irish immigrant, John Hunter, and his Pennsylvania-born wife, Mary Thompson Hunter farmed land on what would later become Irvington. Based on an 1855 map, it appears that the Hunters lived in a house along the Brookville Road near what is today Emerson Avenue. The northern part of the property was just beyond the Pennsylvania Railroad and would have later incorporated Butler University's Irvington campus.The Shimers and Sanduskys were their neighbors. Mr. Hunter served the country during the Mexican-American War. Upon his death in 1850, the Hunter land was divided between two of his sons, Thomas and William. An 1855 map notes that the "Heirs of John Hunter" possessed the land at that time. Only a mile away lived the McClains. 

     According to an autobiography by John Collins McClain, William and Mary McClain moved into Warren Township in 1854. Mary McClain's father, Josiah Bettle, operated a farm near what is today Kitley Avenue south of Washington Street and north of Brookville Road. After her father's death in 1863, Mary McClain inherited the Bettle farm. The McClains had several children. Anne Hardwick's thorough research indicates that most of the children attended Asbury College (later DePauw University). Two of their sons, like their father, became attorneys. Even one of their daughters, Lucetta, attended the school but did not live long enough to graduate. But what of Lucy McClain, the subject of our story? 

William A. McClain (1814-1881), the father of Lucy McClain Hunter, is buried in the Anderson Cemetery near Irvington. (photo courtesy of John Collins McClain)

Mary Ann Bettle McClain (1819-1889) was the beloved matriarch of the McClain family. Many of her children went on to impressive careers. She outlived many of her children, including her daughter, Lucy McClain Hunter. She is buried in the Anderson Cemetery.(photo courtesy of John Collins McClain)

An 1866 map of Marion County shows the farms of Thomas Hunter (far left) along Brookville Road and up into what would become Irvington and the McClain farm (right) just east of Irvington. (Library of Congress) 

Thomas Hunter and Lucy McClain Marry

     We do not know if Lucy attended Asbury College. We do know that she married Thomas Hunter in 1860 at the age of 19 and that they settled on the Hunter farm just a mile or so away from the McClain farm along Brookville Road. An 1866 map of Warren Township shows that Thomas Hunter inherited 80 acres and that his half-brother farmed an adjacent 80 acres. Four years later Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson purchased the nearby Jacob Sandusky farm and founded Irvington. The Hunters would also sell their land to future Irvington developers. But something seems to have soured between Thomas and Lucy Hunter. What happened? We do not know.

     Here is what we do know. By 1878, William and Mary McClain along with a son named Lorenzo "Dow" McClain, moved to Baltimore, Maryland. We also know that Lucy McClain Hunter went with them leaving her husband back in Indiana. In early 1878, Thomas Hunter tried to end his life in Richmond, Indiana. He was not successful and the local newspapers carried graphic descriptions of his suicide attempt. A few weeks later, he traveled to Jerseyville, Illinois on business as he was listed as a boot and saddle runner for a Boston company in the Indianapolis city directories. While in a hotel in that city, he killed himself. An Effingham, Illinois newspaper listed all of the letters in his possession at the time of his death including one to his wife, Mrs. L. Hunter in Baltimore, Maryland. Lucy's brother, Lorenzo made the sad trek to Illinois to retrieve Mr. Hunter's body for burial in the Anderson Cemetery north of Irvington.

Thomas Hunter's simple tombstone in the Anderson Cemetery at 6501 East 10th Street. 

Lucy Hunter Opens Circulating Library in Baltimore

     Lucy McClain Hunter began to rebuild her life in the east. She opened a circulating library on Charles Street in Baltimore in the late 1870s. Circulating libraries predate the public institutions that arrived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While some of these businesses catered to specific clientele, many provided the latest and most popular books of the time. One paid a monthly subscription and could "rent" a book or a periodical without having to buy it. These libraries specifically catered to the middle class and in particular to women. Often, the proprietors would also sell items that catered to female subscribers. Lucy Hunter sold stationery, album books, and greeting cards in her libraries. 

     She called her first library, the Baltimore Circulating Library and advertised profusely in the Baltimore newspapers. An ad in an 1881 edition of the Baltimore Sun on July 12, 1881, revealed that she offered "Delightful Summer Reading," complete with the latest novels, and "standard" literary magazines. Special summer rates were available. It is unclear where she obtained the money to start the venture, but she was highly successful. She did receive $1500 from a life-insurance policy from her deceased husband. It is possible that her parents might have also invested in the business, but we do not know. Two major events changed her life again. First, her father passed away in 1881. His body was transported back to the Anderson Cemetery. Secondly, a man named Enoch Pratt gave a million dollars to open Baltimore's first free-lending library in 1882. It looked like Lucy Hunter's era as a book lender was over. Why would residents of Baltimore lease books when they could obtain them for free? 

     But she wasn't finished and in fact, she would soon open a large lending library one block from the White House in Washington D.C.

Ad for the Baltimore Circulating Library (Baltimore Herald, July 12, 1881)

The Washington D.C. Circulating Library, 1882-1888

     In the summer of 1882, E.S. Wescott placed an ad in the Washington Evening Star about a building "for rent" at 1749 Pennsylvania Avenue NW for $75 a month. The ad promoted "a handsome store room," "French plate glass windows," and several rooms upstairs. A later ad touted a view of inaugural parades from the upper windows. Lucy Hunter must have seen the ad and leased the property in either late 1882 or early 1883. By the summer of that year, she placed ads daily in the Washington Evening Star for her newly-opened circulating library.

     Patrons of her shop had several options for payment. Subscribers could pay fifty cents a month or four dollars for the year. If a person wanted to check out two books at a time, then the rates went up to 75 cents a month or six dollars a year. Lucy offered over 3000 volumes. She eventually became so successful that she opened a branch at 1622 14th Street NW. Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Verne, Helen Hunt Jackson, and Mary Augusta Ward might have been some of the authors she carried. She likely partnered with publishing houses on obtaining the titles. Each January she sold off extra books. 

     So who patronized her libraries? It is tantalizing to imagine that because of her location so near the White House that some very powerful people might have subscribed. Senators? Wives of Senators? Representatives?  Cabinet secretaries? First Ladies? We simply just do not know. She arrived at the end of the Chester Arthur administration and could have watched all of the festivities for the newly-elected Grover Cleveland administration from her shop in March of 1885.  She soared with her new life in the nation's capital and then it all came crashing down.

In 1968, a  Washington D.C. artist, Kingsley Gibson, sketched 1749 Pennsylvania NW. Lucy McClain Hunter operated her circulating library here from 1882-1888. The building. located one block from the White House, has since been torn down. (DC History Center) 

Lucy Hunter's Conversion 

     Hundreds of miles away in Boston, Massachusetts Mary Baker Eddy chartered the very first Church of Christ of Science in 1879. Her theological tome outlining her philosophy had been growing in popularity. Could subscribers at the Washington Circulating Library lease this book from Lucy Hunter? In the spring of 1888, Lucy discovered that she had stomach cancer. An associate named "Miss Pollock" arrived to help to manage the library. She also introduced her to Christian Science. As her condition worsened, Miss Pollock contacted other nearby Christian Scientists to pray with Lucy. If newspaper accounts are to be believed, these new folks prevented Lucy's friends from seeing her. They even barred her mother, Mary McClain, from her bedroom because she tried to bring a doctor. Although there was little that could be done for patients with stomach cancer, there were some medical treatments that could have been administered to help with the pain; however, the Christian Scientists prevailed and Lucy Hunter died an "agonizing death." 

     The manner in which she died received national attention. Even a newspaper in Leavenworth, Kansas carried the story mainly because of the Christian Science "mania" taking root in the country. The Baltimore Herald editorialized,

     She was attended to by two faith curists from Baltimore, who doubtless prayed very fervently for her recovery, but the patient died in spite of their prayers. How long will it be before the law steps in to take hold of people who thus trifle with human life? 

Lucy Hunter Comes Home

     Mary McClain held an auction of her daughter's massive library and other inventory on June 15, 1888. Nearly 2500 books and periodicals along with stationary, jewelry, and furniture went up for bid. In her will, besides naming her mother as her executor and chief beneficiary, she left her surviving brothers each 20 dollars. Her niece, Clara Mitchell, received her watch and cameos while Lizzie Barnes received her wardrobe and bible. 

     Her mother and likely her brother Lorenzo, brought Lucy Hunter's body back for burial in the Anderson Cemetery near where she had spent her youth and early marriage. A funeral was held in the home of her uncle and aunt, George and Frances Hill, who lived near downtown Indianapolis on East Street. 

    In the span of her forty-seven years of life, Lucy McClain Hunter, had gone from a farm girl to a proprietor of one of the largest circulating libraries in Washington D.C. Her trajectory was remarkable. 

Lucy McClain Hunter is buried next to her husband and near her parents and siblings in the Anderson Cemetery. 

Epilogue 

     Lucy McClain Hunter's siblings, many of whom are buried in the Anderson Cemetery, also had remarkable stories. For instance, one brother, Charles Sumner McClain, participated in the rescue of the crew of the Greely expedition in the Arctic. Lorenzo Dow McClain resided in several cities, including Washington D.C., where he assisted Civil War veterans and their families obtain pensions. Another brother, John Collins McClain, who graduated high school with future President William Howard Taft in Cincinnati, became involved in the mining industry in both Alaska and Utah. His autobiography or musings can be read in the link below. 

Links

Sidelines of a Businessman by John C. McClain

McClain family

Sources:  McClain family information:  John Collins McClain, Sidelines of a Business Man or the Meanders of a Sigma Chi, (Salt Lake City), 1913;  Baltimore--City Directories and 1880 Federal Census; Washington D.C. Library--"For Rent," Ad, Evening Star, June 27, 1882, 2; Ad, Evening Star, November 3, 1883;  January sales--Ad, Evening Star, January 17, 1885; Ad, Evening Star, June 25, 1885; "Specials" (Ad), Evening Star, March 17, 1886, 6; "Stationery," Evening Star, March 31, 1886, 5; Number of volumes--Ad, Evening Star, May 15, 1886, 7;  "Books," (Ad), Evening Star, July 22, 1886, 4; Lucy Hunter's Will--Evening Star (District of Columbia), May 26, 1888,3; Auction of Library--Evening Star, November 24, 1888; Landlord and ad for 1749 Pennsylvania NW--Ad--Evening Star, December 18, 1888; For Rent--Ad, Evening Star, February 26, 1889, 2; Death notice--Indianapolis Journal, April 29, 1888; Articles about her death: Leavenworth Standard, May 7, 1888; Daily Times (Richmond, VA), May 8, 1888. Thomas Hunter's demise and death:  Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, January 11, 1878; Indianapolis News, January 11, 1878; The Effingham Democrat, February 7, 1878. Life Insurance--Indianapolis News, June 27, 1878.    

     I would like to thank Anne Hardwick for her collaboration on this post. I would also like to thank Steve Barnett and Deedee Davis.   

      

     

  

          

       

The Longs Celebrate an Anniversary--1954

     On September 14, 1954, Robert Bryant Long and Daisy Lee Long sat in their living room at 222 South Ritter Avenue on the day of their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple had lived in the bungalow for at least forty years. Mr. Long had earned a comfortable living as a salesman for the Bemis Bag Company located on Barth Avenue. He sold bags used for salt, rice, flour, potatoes, and feed for 53 years. Mrs. Long stayed at home and raised their two sons, Arthur and Robert, Jr. She was also involved in numerous clubs including the Irvington Woman's Club. The couple belonged to the Irvington Dramatic Club and they frequently starred in various productions often put on in Moore's Hall, formerly located on the northwest corner of South Audubon Road and Bonna Avenue. For example, on December 2, 1921, they both acted in a one-act play by A.A. Milne titled "Wurzel-Flummery." Mr. Long played the leading man named Robert Crenshaw, while Mrs. Long portrayed Violet Crenshaw, his daughter! 

     In the spring of 1922, the Longs took out a sizable building permit and remodeled the home. It is possible that they added the garage and sun porch at that time. During the Great Depression, the couple took in lodgers. We don't know the exact origin of the photograph below but it belonged to the Davis family, who lived across the street in the double at 217 South Ritter Avenue. The Davis family knew the Longs quite well as they leased their double from them. 

     Five years after this photo was snapped, Mr. Long died as he prepared to depart Florida for the trip back to Irvington. He was 76 years old. Mrs. Long lived on until 1970 and died at the age of 87.        

Daisy Lee Long and Robert Bryant Long sat in their living room at 222 South Ritter Avenue on September 14, 1954. (courtesy of Deedee Davis)

222 South Ritter Avenue, 2022 (Google Streetview)

     Thank you to Deedee and Dodie Davis for the photograph and information for this post. 

Sources:  Interview with Deedee Davis, July 27, 2023; Obituary for Robert B. Long--Indianapolis News, April 7, 1959, 7: Obituary for Daisy Long--Indianapolis News, November 17, 1970, 29; Irvington Dramatic Club--"Calendar," Indiana Daily Times, December 2, 1921; Federal Census Records for 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950; Building permit--Indiana Daily Times, May 10, 1922.

Local Artist and His Wife Moved to Maine

      Recently, while perusing some historic postcards in a local antique mall, I came across a brief note on stationery postmarked on May 26, 1948, from Eastport, Maine. The card depicted a beautiful lighthouse print by Robert Craig. I was drawn to the card because it was sent to an Irvington address. Soon, I fell into several rabbit holes while researching the people who sent the note and the "folks" who received it. I was even more intrigued when I realized that the card was actually sent by Robert and Winifred Craig. There were clues in the text as well.

Robert Craig sketched the East Quoddy Lighthouse located on Campobello Island, New Brunswick most likely from a boat. 

The Craigs mailed this note in 1948 to the Winslows at Maplewood Court in Irvington.

Both the Craigs and the Winslows lived in the Maplewood Apartments at 37 and 47 Johnson Avenue shown here in winter of 2017.

     Dear Folks,

     School is almost out and soon you will be starting Maineward. Wonderful new road from Portsmouth north to Portland done. Come to see us when you can--our latch string is always out.  Craigs

     Robert Craig taught at Arsenal Technical High School for many years. In fact, he headed the fine-arts department. Born in Spencer, Indiana, Mr. Craig later learned his craft at the Pratt Institute and at Columbia University. He also studied under William Forsyth. He and his wife Winifred moved to Irvington and lived at 37 South Johnson Avenue at Maplewood Court. When he retired from Arsenal Tech in 1941, the school named a gallery for him on the third floor of Stuart Hall. During his summer breaks the couple began to go to Maine where he found many beautiful scenes to paint. He preferred painting or sketching outdoors rather than in a studio. He often exhibited his works with other Irvington artists or in one-man shows. 

     In 1945, art critic and Irvington resident, Lucille Morehouse, featured Mr. Craig's one-man show at Lieber's Art Emporium in downtown Indianapolis in her column during the winter of 1945. He displayed many pieces for sale including 29 watercolors, six oils, two lithographs, and one etching. Most of the subjects were of Maine although he did include a few Indiana scenes. In 1947, he exhibited more work at Herron Art School including nine pieces of coastal Maine. Lucille Morehouse noted that besides Forsyth, he also studied under George Ennis in Maine. He reached his peak much later in life in 1964 when the Lynn Kottler Galleries in New York City featured his oil paintings and watercolors. A critic in the Manhattan East wrote of Mr. Craig that, "here is a realist who sees with clear vision and an unerring sense of color." 

Robert Craig was head of the Art Department at Arsenal Technical High School for many years. He is standing in the center of the bottom row. Flanking him were Thelma Adams and Ruth Kothe. In the middle row: Chelsea Stewart, Ione Hirsch, Sara Bard, Edmund Schildknecht; Top Row--Oakley Richey, Elizabeth Jasper, and John Simpson (Arsenal Canon, 1937)

     With that background, one can now begin to understand the text of the note. Harold and Harriett (Hattie) Winslow received the letter from the Craigs just as school neared an end in Indianapolis. Mr. Winslow taught music at both Manual Training High School and at Arsenal Technical High School, which is where Mr. Craig and Mr. Winslow might have met. Mrs. Winslow taught history at both Shortridge and Howe High Schools. They also lived at Maplewood Court in Irvington. The Craigs lived at #16 while the Winslows resided at #7. Mr. Craig had already retired by 1948, but the Winslows were wrapping up the school year.  School is almost out.  

     The Winslows, like the Craigs, had no children and traveled extensively on summer breaks. They had been to Europe and the Middle East. They also drove across the United States so it was not surprising to learn that one of those sojourns might be to Maine to visit their friends, the Craigs, who had made Eastport their permanent home by 1945. For Mr. Winslow it also might have been like coming home since he had been born in Maine. 

Harriett or Hattie Winslow taught Social Studies at Howe High School for many years. She can be seen at the far right in profile. Others in the image include (l to r): Lewis Gilroy, Wade Fuller, Russell Curtis, Dorthea Kirk, Hartwell Kayler, and Mary Diaz (Hilltopper,  1946)

Harold Winslow taught music for many years for the Indianapolis Public Schools and with many church choirs. (Ellen Manual, Find-a-Grave)

     Two years after the Craigs mailed their note to the Winslows of Maplewood Court, Mr. Winslow died in 1950. Did Mrs. Winslow ever see her friends again? We do not know as of this writing. Both Mrs. Winslow and Mrs. Craig died in 1968. Robert Craig died in 1971 at the age of 87. 

     Before purchasing the simple note on the lovely stationery, I had never heard of these interesting and talented Irvington couples. Come see us when you can--the latch string is always out. 

The subject of Mr. Craig's wonderful sketch still stands on Campobello Island, New Brunswick (Britannica) 

Sources:  Craigs--Lucille Morehouse, "Water Colors Feature One-Man Show," Indianapolis Star, February 25, 1945, 21; Lucille Morehouse, "Art of Mattison and Craig Exhibited at Herron Museum," Indianapolis Star, March 2, 1947, 70; "Eastport Artist Has 1-Man Show," Bangor Daily News, January 6, 1964, 26; "Robert Craig, Noted Painter Dies in Eastport," Bangor Daily News, May 11, 1971, 15; Federal Census and City Directories; Winslows--Obituary for Harold Winslow, Indianapolis Star, December 26, 1950, 16; Obituary for Harriet Winslow, Indianapolis News, September 18, 1968, 44. 

     Thank you to Paula Schmidt at the Irvington Historical Society.

A Veteran in Ellenberger Park

      I do not know the name of the young man in this photo. Who is he? On the back of the photo, someone has written "January, 1944" so I know exactly when it was snapped. I also recognize the homes behind the young veteran as the 5300 block of East St. Clair Street. Is he coming or going off to war? Perhaps he is on leave. The dog is also not identified, but on the rear of the image someone has jokingly referred to the beautiful pet as a stray. I found this photo in a box of snapshots in an antique mall in Indianapolis. If you recognize the young man or perhaps his line of service, then drop me an e-mail or make a comment below this post. 

Mystery Solved! The veteran in the photo has now been identified as John Wilbur Kern of 5128 East Washington Street, Apartment #1. 

John Wilbur Kern posed with a dog in Ellenberger Park, January, 1944. Behind him, you can see the houses at 5302, 5308, 5312, and 5316 East St. Clair Street.

Handwriting on the rear of the photograph.

Factory Workers Gift a Bust of Washington Irving

      There are many busts of Washington Irving, but most of them are located in his home state of New York. He died in 1859 and eleven years later, a group of investors near Indianapolis decided to name their new suburb after the beloved writer. For years there had been talk of erecting a monument to the man in the neighborhood. After the city annexed Irvington in 1902, local officials promised a monument that never came. In 1936, Grace Julian Clarke, whose father was a founder of the community, called for park officials to erect a bust for the Irving Circle Park. Silas Carr, a city councilman, successfully petitioned for WPA funds and in the summer of that year sculptor William Kriner put the finishing touches on the limestone bust of the author. Perched atop a limestone pillar, the sculpture became the target of vandalism. Finally, the city moved the bust to a more protected place in 1943 in front of School #57 where it has been for 80 years. 

     By the early 1970s, the Irving Circle Park looked quite forlorn without its original fountain or a bust of Washington Irving. John Readle, a local policeman, decided that the small green space needed a facelift. He successfully lobbied the city and helped to raise funds to recreate the fountain.  (later replaced in the 1990s) He also worked with his contacts at the International Harvester plant on Brookville Road to recreate the bust.  The factory had been a major employer for the city since 1938. Hundreds of workers and executives lived in Irvington and on the east side for decades.

     Hollie E. Cox first began working for the factory in 1939 as a pattern maker.  The young man was just getting started in life. During World War II, he left the plant and served overseas in the European theater of the war. In fact, he fought at the Battle of Bulge during the brutal winter of 1944. He survived the war and returned home where his job still awaited him at International Harvester. He married Leona Boyle in 1948 and they later had two children, Katy and Russell. We are not exactly sure how Mr. Cox became involved, but he helped to recreate the new bust of Washington Irving in 1971. It was cast in iron and coated in copper. They used the Kriner bust as the model for the new Irving. Instead of a stone pillar, Mr. Cox and others welded the head upon a metal pole. And while the factory and the workers are now gone, the bust serves as an enduring legacy of their time on the eastside of Indianapolis.  

   

The new iron bust of Washington Irving is in the center of the photo while the older limestone bust is at the right in 1971. (photo courtesy of Katy Smith)

Hollie E. Cox (left) and another International Harvester employee work on the new Washington Irving bust in 1971. You can also see the original mold in the photo. (courtesy of Katy Smith)

Pattern maker, Hollie E. Cox, used the historic limestone bust as the model for the new iron bust in 1971. William Kriner, who sculpted figures on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis, created this bust of Washington Irving in 1936. You can see the historic vandalism on Irving's neck. Local officials eventually moved the bust to the grounds of IPS #57. (Photo courtesy of Katy Smith)

Hollie E. Cox added a copper coating on the bust of Washington Irving in 1971 at the International Harvester plant on Brookville Road. (photo courtesy of Katy Smith)

The beautiful new copper-coated iron bust of Washington Irving in 1971 at the International Harvester plant on Brookville Road. (photo courtesy of Katy Smith)

Washington Irving still watches over the Irving Circle Park. He has suffered from the effects of weather and vandalism. Most recently, someone has drawn all over his face with a permanent marker. (photo taken on April 9, 2023)

William Kriner's limestone bust rests on a stone pillar in front of IPS #57. The ravages of weather have removed some of the features of his face. A previous act of vandalism in the 1940s is still visible on his neck. (photo taken on April 9, 2023)

  Photo provenance:  On February 11, 2023, I attended a reading by local poet Angela Barnes. While standing in line for her to sign my book, I met Katy Cox Smith, who was standing behind me. Her father helped to create the iron bust of Washington Irving in 1971. She generously sent scans of these historic family photographs.

Sources:  William Kriner bust--"Irvington Looks to Dedication of Life-Size Bust of Namesake," Indianapolis News, July 6, 1936, 20; "Washington Irving Bust to be Dedicated on Sept. 11," Indianapolis News, August 7, 1936, 15; Iron bust--Michael P. Tarpey, "Policeman's Pride in His Irvington to Restore Fountain," Indianapolis Star, September 22, 1971; "Indiana Rose Festival Selects City Policeman for Environment Award," Indianapolis Star, October 4, 1971; For more information on sculpture in Indiana--Glory June Greiff, Remembrance, Faith, and Fancy: Outdoor Public Sculpture in Indiana, Indiana Historical Press, 2000. 

Scouts, School #82, and a Long Lost House

      Ron Huggler, who grew up at 4613 Young Avenue, participated in both Cub and Boy Scouts. Many of his friends in the neighborhood joined the same pack. They met in numerous places including at the American Legion Lodge located in the former Scot Butler home at 124 South Downey Avenue. The shots below are the first known interior images of that home which was demolished in the late 1950s. On Memorial Days, the boys marched in honor of the veterans at places like Washington Park Cemetery. They went on field trips as well. During one spring vacation from school, Cub Scout Pack #29 visited U.S. Naval Ordnance plant at Arlington Avenue and 21st. Many of the Dads who worked at the plant proudly posed for a photo with their sons. 

Cub Scout Pack #29

This photo turned out to be a remarkable find as it is the first known interior shot of the former Scot Butler home at 124 South Downey Avenue. The home later became the Irvington American Legion Post #38 before it was torn down in the 1950s. In 1949, members of Cub Scout Pack #29 gathered in the former parlor of the home for a group photograph with their "den" parents and perhaps members of the American Legion. We know some of the names of the people in the photo, but we need your help. Let us know if you recognize anyone! Front Row (l to r) Unknown Man, Possibly Mrs. Proctor, Jerry Hatcher, Unknown scout, Robert Butler, Dale May, Unknown man;  First Row on stage (l to r) Unknown man, Unknown scout, Ron Huggler, Walter Bowles, Bruce Proctor, Unknown scout, Brad Lane, Unknown scout, Unknown scout, Unknown scout, Unknown woman, Unknown woman; Top Row on stage (l to r): Unknown scout, Unknown scout, Possibly Alan Miller, Unknown scout, Unknown scout, Royce Bourne, Robert Horton (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

Members of Cub Scout Pack #29 performed a skit c1949 at the Irvington American Legion Post #38 at 124 South Downey Avenue (former home of Scot Butler) Scouts pictured (l to r): Unknown scout, Dale May, Robert Horton, Ron Huggler, Brad Lane, Jerry Hatcher, and Unknown Scout (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler) 

Scot Butler, the son of Ovid Butler, moved to 124 South Downey Avenue. This photo was likely snapped around 1902. The home later became the American Legion Post for Irvington. It was torn down in the late 1950s to make room for the mid-century round office structure for the Disciples of Christ. The boys in the image above were photographed in the front parlor on the first floor. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society) 

On Memorial Day 1949, members of Cub Scout Pack #29 marched in the Washington Park Cemetery to honor veterans of both World War I and World War II. (photos courtesy of Ron Huggler)

Members of a local marching band joined the cub scouts at Washington Park Cemetery in 1949 to honor veterans. (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

On April 11, 1949, members of Cub Scout Pack #29 toured the US Naval Ordnance plant at Arlington Avenue and 21st Street. Let us know if you recognize some of the people in this photograph. Front row (l to r): Ron Huggler, Brad Lane, Robert Lanham, Unknown scout, Robert Butler; Second row (l to r): Unknown scout, Unknown scout, Dale May, Jerry Hatcher, Unknown Scout, Alan Miller, Ronald Lisby, Unknown Scout; Third row (l to r): Bruce Proctor, Walter Bowles, Unknown Scout, Unknown Scout, Unknown Scout; Fourth row (l to r): Scoutmaster Walter Proctor, Marjorie Bourne, Unknown woman, Unknown woman, Unknown woman, Unknown woman; Top Row: Ed Harwood, John Huggler, Unknown Man, Cleo Bourne, Unknown woman, Martha Lanham, Nathan Brinson

IPS #82 (Christian Park School)

     Most children from the Christian Park Heights neighborhood attended IPS #82. They could easily walk from their homes north and south of Brookville Road. The school had a very active parent organization and even sponsored a Mother's Chorus. Helen Huggler and other Moms sang at events around the city of Indianapolis and even participated in a competition in South Bend. Throughout the 1940s, a representative from the Christian family would welcome the kids to school. Ron Huggler remembered learning about the family's history near the school's beautiful fireplace in the children's activity room. 

IPS #82 on a snowy day c1951(photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

A classroom scene inside IPS #82 c1951 (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

In December of 1951 students at IPS #82 performed a Christmas pageant. The art class created the "stained glass" behind the kids. Standing (left to right): Jimmy Christian, Katherine Kollman, Ronald Nichols, Unknown, Ron Huggler; Seated (left to right); Walter Bowles, Mark Bottema, Cheenu Rassman, Judy Bechtel, Dale May (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

Members of the Class of 1953 from IPS #82 posed for this formal photograph. Standing (left to right): James Christian, James Simmons, Ronald Corya, Walter Hill, Charles Karr, Karl Hedges, Ronald Chappell, Jerry Hensley, Tom Barber; Seated (left to right): Bill Wheeling, Dave Stafford, Sharon Means, Judy Proctor, Janet Redman, David Probst, Ron Huggler (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

We do not know the occasion, but several members of the class of 1953 from IPS #82 gathered for this photograph c1953. (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

Judy Bechtel and Cathy Dudley posed next to the Christian Park School "float" c1952.  Behind the girls you can see 4702 Wentworth Boulevard. Drop me an e-mail if you know what this float was used for as we are still searching for that reason!  (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

John Pogue posed next to the Christian Park School "float" c1952 along Wentworth Boulevard. (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler)

Sources:  Ron Huggler, "The Best of Times: Random Thoughts on My Journey to Now," Unpublished memoir, 2006; Interviews with Ron Huggler, January 23, 26, February 1, 15, 20, 2023. A special thanks to Don Flick and Steve Barnett at the Irvington Historical Society.