John T. Mahorney: Political Candidate, Businessman, Writer, and Inventor

      Over the past several years, a few local historians have been researching Gertrude Mahorney, the first African-American in the state of Indiana to graduate from an Indiana college. She made state-wide news in 1887 when she received her diploma from Butler University and again two years later when she earned her Masters Degree. She later taught German in the public schools. She now has a Wikipedia page. (see below) But how did Gertrude achieve this opportunity? The answer can be partially found in her talented family. 

John T. Mahorney Married Ann Gray in Chicago

     The Chicago Tribune reported that Saturday, July 23, 1859, was a sunny day with a high of near 80 degrees. It would be a perfect Saturday for a wedding. Sometime on that date, Ann Gray, whose father, Jared Gray, operated a highly successful wig-making business, married John T. Mahorney, a bricklayer, from Chambersburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was 19 and he was 29. For the next several decades, the couple built a business, raised a family, and traveled together throughout the United States and to the British Isles. Eventually, they settled in Irvington. 

A Successful Wig-Making Business

     Although he had been apprenticed as a brick mason, John T. Mahorney moved into the Gray family business of manufacturing wigs and toupees. Mrs. Mahorney joined in on the business adventure. Within a few years, the couple was ready to strike out on their own. By 1862 the couple had opened a shop in downtown Indianapolis on Illinois Street near the popular Bates Hotel. Ads placed in local Indianapolis newspapers indicated that the couple manufactured wigs and toupees along with other nineteenth-century hair pieces like poufs, braids, curls, and frizzles. They also opened another business selling the same products in Leavenworth, Kansas. The expansion of their base of operations took place during the middle of the Civil War. If they were not busy enough, John and Ann welcomed their first child to live into adulthood, Gertrude, in the early 1860s. They resided in a cottage at 235 Blake Street near the White River in Indianapolis. 

John T. Mahorney advertised his business in both newspapers and city directories. This ad appeared in Buell and Williams' Indianapolis City Directory and Business Mirror for 1864.

The earliest known ad thus far for J.T. Mahorney's wig and toupee business appeared in the Indianapolis Daily Journal, July 19, 1862, 3.

John T. Mahorney and Senators Charles Sumner and Hiram Revels

     After the Civil War, the Mahorneys continued to expand their hair product business. John T. Mahorney gravitated towards politics. In 1870, he corresponded with Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts. Mr. Mahorney likely admired the Senator's strong abolitionist views along with his stance on Civil Rights. On June 2, 1870, he sat down in his Blake Street home and penned a letter to the famed Senator.

     Honorable Chas. Sumner, Sir

     Allow me to congratulate you upon the bill called "Supplemental Civil Rights Bill" it is just what we want. May success attend your efforts, and the Prayers of the People go up for you and the cause you advocate. I have the honor to be your obedient servant. 

J.T. Mahorney

PS Senator Revels is an intimate friend of mine. J.T. Mahorney

Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts (Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress)

A letter from John T. Mahorney is now housed at Harvard University in the papers of Charles Sumner. (Courtesy of the Houghton Library at Harvard University)

John T. Mahorney mentioned to Charles Sumner that he knew Senator Hiram Revels, a newly-elected Senator from Mississippi in 1870 (Courtesy of Houghton Library at Harvard University) 

     Hiram Revels was the first black senator to be elected in the United States. During Reconstruction, many African-Americans were elected to both federal and state offices although that window closed once the Reconstruction-era ended. Mr. Mahorney may have known Revels from his work in Leavenworth, Kansas as the Reverend Hiram Revels also served as a minister in that community. There were also Revels family members living in Indianapolis. We do not have Senator Sumner's response to John T. Mahorney, but later Mr. Mahorney penned a biography of the Senator. No copy of that book has been found, but Harvard University, where the Charles Sumner papers are housed, contains the above letter from John T. Mahorney.

Hiram Revels was the first African-American to serve in Congress. John T. Mahorney and he likely crossed paths in Leavenworth, Kansas in the 1860s as both men had ties to that city at the same time. (photo courtesy of Levi-Corbin-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress)

     The following year, John and Ann Mahorney welcomed a baby boy they named John Joseph Mahorney. He, along with his older sister Gertrude, would be the only children to survive into adulthood. 

A Turn into Politics 

     As early as 1866, John T. Mahorney attended various conventions and frequently spoke at these events. In November of that year, he was elected the corresponding secretary of the Colored Men's Convention of Indiana. Two years later, he sponsored at least two resolutions at another convention held in Masonic Hall in Indianapolis. In one resolution, he called the members to thank the recently-departed US Representative Thaddeus Stevens for his support of equal rights among all people. He also proposed a resolution honoring Senator Benjamin F. Randolph, a newly-elected black Senator from South Carolina, who had been assassinated. Both resolutions passed at the convention.

     Two major laws propelled John T. Mahorney into action. The first was the ratification of the 15th Amendment, giving African American men the right to vote, initially passed by Congress in 1869, and ratified by the country in 1870. On May 26, 1870, a group of African-Americans invited John Mahorney to participate in a reading of the new Amendment in Princeton, Indiana. In a "clear voice," he read President Grant's proclamation and the 15th Amendment. Brass bands, a parade, and picnic created a celebratory atmosphere. On August 25, he spoke for over an hour about the 15th Amendment to people in Lebanon, Indiana and on September 11, he and J.S. Hinton spoke to Black Republicans in Thorntown, Indiana. 

     The second law was closer to home. In 1869, the Indiana legislature, with the Common School Act, mandated that local school districts provide education for African-American children. Throughout his life, education had been near to Mr. Mahorney's heart. He made sure that his own family received a proper schooling in local institutions and later with college degrees. So, in August of 1869, the Colored Baptist Association of Indiana passed a resolution asking John T. Mahorney, J.S. Hinton, and I. M. Williams to travel around the state to educate local African-Americans about getting their children into the local schools.  In 1871, he attended another black convention this time in New Orleans. He authored a resolution calling for the education of ALL children from the ages of 7 to 15. His motion passed. Many people throughout the state of Indiana and the nation knew John T. Mahorney's name, and then he did something very surprising. 

A New Democrat

     After the Civil War most African American men who could vote either joined or supported the Republican party. The Democratic party became the party of oppression especially in the southern United States during the Reconstruction era. Horrible violence against African-Americans ran unchecked and often had the support of southern Democrats. Jim Crow laws had already started to emerge and would only get worse as the decade wore on. So, it likely came as a shock to his friends and associates when John T. Mahorney announced in 1872 that he was supporting Horace Greeley, a former Republican and now Democrat, for President of the United States against the re-election of Ulysses S. Grant. Just one year earlier, he had been part of a delegation that welcomed President Grant into the city of Indianapolis. He had given speeches about Lincoln, but in July of 1872 the members of the Greeley-Brown Club elected him as one of the Vice Presidents. His decision to join with Democrats did not go down well. Besides being physically assaulted, someone threw bricks through the windows of his Blake Street home. Perhaps some thought that he would return to the Republican party; however, he remained a Democrat for the rest of his life. His decision hurt his reputation but also helped his career.

     The 1870 Federal Census noted that the Mahorneys earned a comfortable living in the wig-making business and that they also owned real estate. At some point they shuttered the operation in both Indianapolis and in Leavenworth. With his involvement in the Democratic party, John T. Mahorney received job opportunities. In 1874, local Democrats appointed him as the turnkey at the city jail. Later, he would be employed as the watchman for the Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In the 1880s, he would be appointed as one of three library commissioners.

     His rift with fellow black Republicans did not stop him from participating in a local commemoration of Senator Charles Sumner in 1874. He also participated in a protest with fellow Black Masons, who were upset with Lawrence Township officials in Marion County who refused to allow a black family into their school system in the same year. However, the good will soon ended as Mahorney participated in a debate on June 24, 1877, with a "Mr. Taylor" in Masonic Hall as to whether African-Americans should join the Democratic Party. One person who attended that night, P.W.H. Johnson was so outraged that he penned a letter to the Indianapolis News reminding black people that the Democratic party had done nothing to help African-Americans. The white Republican media was not much kinder to him as they frequently used racist language and sometimes called him "O'Mahorney." 

In 1874, John T. Mahorney was appointed as the "turnkey" at the city jail in Indianapolis. It is possible that he is in this 1874 image of the Indianapolis police department, but we can't be sure. (Photo courtesy of Patrick Pearsey) 

The Mahorneys Travel to the British Isles 

     In August of 1877, the Mahorney family applied for travel documents to sail to Great Britain. It was the trip of a lifetime. The application described 47-year-old John T. Mahorney as 5'9" with a broad forehead, straight nose, brown complexion, and a small mouth with a mustache. His chin was round with a gray and brown goatee. Incredibly the Mahorneys would be gone for four months. They lived in London's East End. They toured historic sites including the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. They attended plays and visited both Ireland and Wales. For young Gertrude and John Joseph, the trip must have been fascinating. Mrs. Mahorney became so enamored with the journey that she wrote an unpublished account of the event called Our Rambles in London. It also appears that Mr. Mahorney was there on business as he had invented a new kind of switching frog to be used for railroads. His invention did not appear to get any takers. In December, the family boarded the R.M.S. China at Liverpool and sailed home. Their travels were covered in the Indianapolis News. 

A Stereoscopic view of the Tower of London in 1877 (public domain)

The Mahorneys Move to Irvington

     We do not know the exact moment that the family located to Irvington, but they might have been in the town as early as 1878. They were clearly in the community by 1880 as the Federal Census from that year lists them living near the Strawns and Tibbots. Unfortunately, the census from that year does not enumerate households by address and Indianapolis city directories did not bother with addresses, but merely placed an "I" next to Irvington families well into the 1890s. We do know that Gertrude Mahorney later possessed a lot in Chamber's First Subdivision which could have placed the family near the intersection of East Michigan Street and North Bolton, but we are not sure. 

     The Mahorneys wrote that they moved to the neighborhood so that their children could obtain an excellent education. They also expected both kids to attend Butler University. Both Gertrude and John Joseph excelled in school. Gertrude became the first black collegiate graduate in the state of Indiana. She later taught German in both Indianapolis and Rockville, Indiana. Her brother, John Joseph, majored in engineering and math. During his senior year in 1889 at Butler, he faced an ugly moment. He was named one of the presidents of the Mathesian Literary Society along with other seniors. Two Kentuckians in the club objected and demanded that he resign. Their families had enslaved people prior to the Civil War. The other members of the society refused to bow to the demands of the southerners and the two young men not only left the club, but they also dropped out of the college. 

John and Ann Gray Mahorney moved to Irvington in the late 1870s so that their children, Gertrude and John Joseph, could attend Butler University. 

Gertrude Mahorney was the first African-American to graduate from college in Indiana. You can read more about her in the link at the end of this post. (Photo courtesy of Butler University and the Irvington Historical Society)

The Final Years

     While living in Irvington, John Mahorney attempted to run for political office. In the summer of 1878 he traveled around the state giving speeches on behalf of the Indiana Democratic party; however he appears to have not been nominated for any office. He kept his job as watchman at the Deaf and Dumb Institute and remained in demand as a political speaker. In 1882, the Muncie Morning News reported on his speech and referred to him as a "talented colored orator." The Indianapolis News, whose writers had been extraordinarily hard on Mahorney since his conversion to the Democratic party, opined that he was "not an orator and not talented."

     In 1884, John T. Mahorney traveled to Louisville to participate in the Colored Men's Convention. The keynote speaker was the beloved black orator and Civil Rights champion, Frederick Douglass. With his shock of white hair, Douglass spoke firmly to the assembled crowd. He despaired over the fact that there were black Democrats present. He reminded the audience that they were stronger together. Was he speaking to John Mahorney? Three years later, Mahorney penned a letter to the Indianapolis News blasting Douglass for his critique of Europeans who participated in minstrels. Douglass spent much of 1887 abroad and had despaired seeing white people portray racist caricatures. The Washington Bee in the nation's capital also published Mahorney's rebuke so it is possible that the great orator read the letter. 

     Tuberculosis, known as consumption in the late nineteenth century, killed thousands of Americans each year. In 1890, John T. Mahorney started to have "lung trouble." He struggled for months and passed away in his Irvington home on June 24. He had lived long enough to see both of his children graduate from college. His death was reported all over the state of Indiana. The Shelbyville Democrat recorded that he "was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, a fine speaker, and well-informed of the great questions of the day." The Evansville Journal opined that he "was formerly a Republican, but we notice that since he changed his politics, a curse seems to have followed him." The Indianapolis News referred to his intelligence and integrity. They noted that he "had advanced notions about education." They also referred to him as "erratic" and a "reader." He was not a man who could be easily classified. 

     His son, John Joseph Mahorney, followed him to the grave in 1892 after an appendicitis attack. Ann and Gertrude moved out of Irvington around this time and relocated to the near west side of Indianapolis. The two traveled together and lived briefly in other towns while Gertrude taught in various schools. Mrs. Mahorney died in the autumn of 1904. More scholarship is needed on her as she also contributed to this highly successful family.  As of this writing, we do not know what became of Gertrude Mahorney after 1915. She seems to have vanished into the records. 

     I wish to thank Anne Hardwick, Don Flick, Steve Barnett, and Marvin Mason for their assistance with this story.

Gertrude Mahorney

Sources

Politics--Colored Men's Conventions--"Convention," Indianapolis Daily Journal, November 12, 1866, 8; "Colored Men's State Convention," Indianapolis Journal, December 31, 1868; 15th Amendment--"Ratification," Evansville Daily Journal, September 11, 1870, 8; Lebanon and Thorntown--Indianapolis Journal, August 26, 1870, 8; Indianapolis Journal, September 11, 1870, 8; Schools--"Colored Baptist Association," Indianapolis Journal, August 31, 1868, 4; "The Colored Convention," New Orleans Republican, October 1, 1871, 2; Democrat--Grant in Indpls-"Grant!" Indianapolis People, April 23, 1871, 10; Assault--Chicago Tribune, July 28, 1872; Greeley Club--Indianapolis News,  July 30, 1872; Bricks in house--Indianapolis News, August 17, 1872;  Appointments--Indianapolis News, May 19, 1874; Indianapolis City Directories; Debate in Masonic Hall--Indianapolis News, June 24, 1877; Racist press coverage--Indianapolis News, September 4, 1876) Travel to England--United States of American, Native Citizen form; "Additional City News," Indianapolis News, November 2, 1877; Indianapolis News, December 17, 1877, 3;  Mrs. Mahorney's travel writing--Anne E. Mahorney, "John T. Mahorney," Western Association of Writers, 1891, 232; Move to Irvington--Mathesian Society--"Civil Rights in College," Indianapolis News, June 15, 1889; Student papers--"Great Times at Butler," Indianapolis News, June 14, 1889, 4; Butler Collegian, June 1, 1889, 19. Final Years, Run for Office--"Pioneering Black Democrat," Indianapolis News, August 8, 1878, 4; "Political Notes," Indianapolis People, September 7, 1878; Indianapolis News, August 19, 1878, 3; Indianapolis News, September 24, 1878; Muncie Morning News, October 26, 1882, 1; Indianapolis News, October 26, 1882, 2; Louisville Convention, 1884--David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom, New York, 2018, 643-645; Columbus Herald (IN), October 24, 1884, 8; Letter to Editor--"Race Prejudice From Abroad," The Washington Bee, February 5, 1887, 1; Obituaries--Shelbyville Democrat (IN), June 25, 1890, 4; Evansville Journal, June 29, 1890, 2; "The Death of John T. Mahorney," Indianapolis News, June 25, 1890, 2; Obituary for Mrs. Mahorney-Indianapolis News, October 12, 1904

Rufus Hammons First Black Politician in Irvington

      Editor's Note: After a hiatus of several months, I have returned to Vintage Irvington. I hope to add many more stories and historic photographs in the coming year. 

     William and Delphia Hammons along with their six children would be among the very first residents of Irvington when they moved into a cottage near the Pennsylvania Railroad in the early 1870s. The path for the couple had not been an easy one as they had both been born into slavery in North Carolina. Less than a decade after the Civil War, they moved north to Indiana and into the new community of Irvington. Mr. Hammons found work in a variety of laboring jobs. Journalist Elizabeth Carlyle noted in an Indianapolis Star article in 1929, that he helped to build some of the structures on Butler's Irvington campus in the mid-1870s. Grace Julian Clarke, a prominent white resident and suffragist, noted in one of her columns in the Indianapolis Star in 1938 that the name of William Hammons appeared in the ledger of Shank's Store in 1877. The Hammons family would have been known by most of the earliest people to settle in the area. 

     The 1880 Federal Census and city directories indicate that William and "Delphey" Hammons lived in a small house located at 240 Good Avenue. Today, Mr. Hammons would be noted as biracial, but in 1880 the census taker noted that he was "mulatto."  His occupation was simply listed as a laborer and that he could read and write. He was 47. Others noted in the 1880 enumeration included his thirty-four-year-old wife, Delphey; his sons, Rufus, age 12; William Wade, age 1, and a daughter, Vandora, age 6. The census taker marked out the name of Judge, who was less than a year old. This action indicated that he had recently died. His homemade tombstone along with numerous other members of the family rests in the Anderson Cemetery on East 10th Street. They would later have two additional children, Elmer and Carrie.

In 1929, journalist Elizabeth Carlyle interviewed Rufus Hammons, the son of William and Hammons, for the Indianapolis Star. 

The Hammons' plots are located north of East Tenth Street in the Anderson Cemetery. The tombstones have been recently cleaned. Many of the stones were hand carved. (photo snapped on January 24, 2023)

Judge or "Judgy" died before his first birthday. Someone hand-carved his name into the tombstone.

The census taker marked out Judge's name to indicate that he was deceased. I had never encountered this before but it was a common practice used at the time. 

Carrie Hammons, the youngest child of William and Delphia Hammons, can be seen this 1896 Irvington School photograph. Top row: L to R: Bill Judkins, Levi Brock, Dady Compton, Unknown, Cora Rehm, Pansy Brock, Carrie Hammons, Tillie Whistler (Cropped from a much larger photograph belonging to the Irvington Historical Society)

     Rufus Hammons (1862-1945), the oldest son of William and Delphey Hammons, lived all but ten years of his life on Good Avenue in Irvington. At the age of 34 years old in 1896, he made history when he became the first African-American to run for political office from the neighborhood. In the mid to late 1890s, a group of Irvington men tried to purge "party politics" from the town offices. Irvington had not yet been annexed by the city of Indianapolis so the community still elected trustee, clerk, and marshal positions. Not everyone in the neighborhood went along with the plan including many in the Republican Party. Mr. Hammons won the nomination to serve as the Republican candidate for Town Marshal against Samuel Smith, who aligned with the non-party faction. In the late 1890s, the Republican party was still known as the party of Lincoln and most African-American men in the nation supported Republicans on the ballot. For Rufus Hammons it must have been an incredible milestone in his life as he had been born into slavery. 

     When the votes were counted, Samuel Smith soundly defeated Rufus Hammons 178 to 90. Even though Mr. Hammons lost the election, numerous white people in the community still voted for him. He made history on that day. He went on to remain active in organizations throughout his life. He was a leader in the Frederick Douglas Lodge No. 7 of the Knights of Pythias. The black-owned Indianapolis Recorder noted meetings and celebrations held at his Good Avenue home. On August 20, 1903, he hosted a lawn fete complete with a brass band. Admission to the event was free. He and his wife, Susie, raised their children in Irvington and attended the nearby First Baptist Church. His father and mother lived next door at 240 Good Avenue for many years. He earned his living working at the Layman & Carey Hardware Store. Some of his children went on to remain actively involved in Irvington as well. 

     In 1929 and the age of 57, Rufus Hammons told the journalist Elizabeth Carlyle, as he stood next to his bicycle, "I can turn a summersault backwards today." He had been a gifted athlete and acrobat in his younger days. He even auditioned for the P.T. Barnum Circus as a young man. When she inquired why he preferred riding his bike he told her, "I've walked, rode stage coaches, mule cars, dummies, battery storage cars, trollies and automobiles, but people are traveling too fast today to suit me."  He lived until he was 82 years and died at his home on Good Avenue in 1945. 

A Baist map shows Good Avenue north of Dewey Avenue and south of Bonna Avenue in 1908. You will note that the First Baptist Church had not yet built their new structure on the block yet. That happened in 1910. (IUPUI Digital Collections) 

Willliam and Delphia Hammons lived at 240 Good Avenue shown above. Next door, Rufus and Susie Hammons resided at 234 Good Avenue. (demolished) Other descendants also lived on the block. They attended church across the street at First Baptist. (photo Google Streetview, July 2011) 

     I wish to thank James Robinson, Anne Hardwick, and Steve Barnett for their help with this post. We would love to know more about this talented family. If you are a descendant, drop me an email at williamfranklingulde@gmail.com. 

Sources:  William Hammons--Grace Julian Clarke, "Geometrical Flower Beds of Olden Times Recalled," Indianapolis Star, November 1, 1925, 65; 1880 Federal Census; William and Rufus Hammons--Elizabeth Carlyle, "Son of Slaves, Resident Here 57 Years, Still Good Acrobat," Indianapolis Star, June 21, 1929, 72; Rufus Hammons--Election of 1896-"At Irvington," Indianapolis Journal, May 5, 1896, 8; Knights of Pythias--"Notice," Indianapolis Recorder, August 15, 1903; Obituary--"Hammons Burial Friday," Indianapolis News, January 14, 1945, 34.

Pioneering Black Suffragist Lived in Irvington

      On June 19 and 20, 1916, women from all over the state of Indiana gathered during a convention to hear the keynote speaker and the president of the National Franchise League, Carrie Chapman Catt. Dozens of state leaders and some politicians also attended the two-day event. The estimated 500 delegates rose to their feet and applauded as Mrs. Catt stood to speak. Other franchise groups attended the conference as did some politicians. Mrs. Catt was blunt in her speech. She had been disappointed by the stance of several of Indiana's elected officials who did not support suffrage for women. She noted that the United States had been "inconsistent" with regard to the freedom of half of the population. She noted that more Republicans favored women's suffrage than Democrats. Part of her speech was xenophobic as she noted that "if there are incompetents voting now, then something should be done to stop the naturalization of ignorant foreigners." She also raged against apathetic women who supported the cause but did nothing. Her speech angered some in the audience including some Democrats. 

     Also sitting in the audience that day was another Carrie although most at the event likely did not know her name. Carrie Whalon of 438 South Ritter Avenue had come to the convention in her role as the president of the First Colored Woman's Suffrage Club. She was not alone and sat next to two of her fellow neighbors, Minnie Highbaugh and Lizzie Compton. It is not known how many of the 500 delegates present were black, but there were at least three.  

     So who was Carrie Whalon? We must start with the fact that there are several unknowns about her life including the spelling of her last name. Both her will and death certificate spell her name as Whalon, but in many newspapers, including the black-owned Indianapolis Recorder, her name was spelled as "Whallon" or "Whallen" in many articles. Carrie Stofer was born in 1870 as the daughter of Jack Stofer and Minnie Berry Stofer  Grubb Williams in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. At some point, she married William Jackson and had two children, Stofer and Louvenia (possibly Lavenia). We do not know what happened to Mr. Jackson, but the 1900 Federal Census indicates that she married  Thomas Tipton, a laborer at a planning mill in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Mr. Tipton had six children of his own and with Carrie's two children made for a very large family. Gaps in her life remain, but we know that she married for the final time on August 1, 1910, to John Whallon (also spelled Whallen) in Louisville, Kentucky. There were Whalons living at the intersection at Greenfield and Ritter Avenue in Irvington so this is likely how she ended up moving north. 

     We are not sure of the exact moment that Carrie and John Whalon moved to Irvington. We do know that her children did not move up to Indianapolis right away. An Indianapolis Recorder article indicated that her son Stofer came up from Mount Sterling, Kentucky to visit his Mom, Mrs. Carrie Tipton Whalon, at 425 West St. Clair Street. Another Recorder blurb from the same year noted that Mr. and Mrs. Whalon moved into their home at 5521 Greenfield Avenue. John Whalon is listed at that address until 1915. 

      By 1916, Carrie Whalon no longer lived at the Greenfield Avenue address. She appears to have moved in with the Tarpennings, a white family at 260 South Ritter Avenue, where she "lived in the rear" of the home. She was frequently listed as a "cook" so she likely served as a domestic for various Irvington families. She did not live there long.

     In the summer of 1916, Carrie Whalon achieved a dream of buying her own home. The Indianapolis Recorder noted that Mrs. Whalon purchased a "beautiful two-story frame home at 438 South Ritter Avenue." A later ad called it a "pretty" three-bedroom cottage. Behind her would have been an open field, and farmland existed south of her along Brookville Road. She would have heard the rumble of the trains along the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and from the new Irvington Ice and Coal Company located about a half block north. Her son and later his wife and grandson moved in with her. 

      While she was busy setting up her new house, she was also very committed in 1916 as president of the First Woman's Colored League in Indianapolis. The club met weekly in various women's homes primarily on the west side of Indianapolis so Mrs. Whalon would have had the added expense of traveling from Irvington to the west side. The inaugural meeting took place on April 27, 1916, at the home of Mrs. Ida Winston at 401 West Pratt Street (later 9th Street). Mrs. Whalon spoke as the presiding officer and served tea to the new members along with two white guests, Grace Julian Clarke and Mrs. Orville O. Carvin of Irvington. Both Mrs. Clarke and Carvin had long been involved in the suffrage movement and were there to advise the ladies on their new club. Black women were seldom invited into long-standing franchise leagues, thus the need for a separate club. 

     Throughout the year, the ladies of the First Woman's Colored League continued to meet. On October 5, 1916, the women invited Mrs. Claudia Pash to speak to the club as she had already voted three times as women in certain parts of the United States had the right to vote. On October 17, 1916, Carrie Whalon hosted the group at her home in Irvington. The women asked their husbands and other men to attend since black men in Indiana did have the right to vote. All over the state, women were encouraging their husbands, brothers, and fathers to elect candidates who were in favor of women's suffrage. The First Woman's Colored League was no different. 

     After the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, millions of women cast their vote for the first time. Although we have no record of it, it is highly likely that Carrie Whalon was one of those women. She joined the Republican Party and was very involved in a local black chapter in Irvington. An Indianapolis Recorder article noted that Mrs. Whalon served as the secretary of the club. During the Indianapolis mayoral primary in 1921, there were three candidates on the Republican ticket. In April of that year, the club met at the Knights of Pythias building at 202 1/2 South Audubon Road to endorse a local favorite, Thomas Carr Howe. He spoke to the club that night as did numerous other speakers. Although Mr. Howe did not win the nomination, Carrie Whalon and other black women in Indiana now had a political voice in state and federal politics. 

     At some point during the 1920s, Carrie Whalon became sick. Doctors diagnosed her with cancer. She continued to remain politically active. She was also very involved at the First Baptist Church at 231 Good Avenue where she helped to organize a chapter of the Mother's Aid Society. In another era, it is likely that Mrs. Whalon would have run for a political office, but there were few opportunities for black women in the 1920s as the Ku Klux Klan dominated the state of Indiana in that era  Likely knowing that the end was near, she signed her last will and testament on January 4, 1926. She left her house and her money to her children and to her mother. Her death certificate in 1927 indicated that she was buried at the Floral Park Cemetery on Holt Road although there does not appear to be headstone. 

African-American women lined up at the polling station at 904 Indiana Avenue on November 2, 1920 to vote. Carrie Whalon would have cast her first ballot at a polling site in Irvington. We do not have a photograph of her. (photo appeared in Indianapolis News, November 2, 1920, 13) 

Carrie Whalon and her son Stofer Jackson along with his wife Sarah Jackson resided at 438 South Ritter Avenue. The family lived in the cottage from 1916 until her death in 1927. Stofer Jackson worked as a driver for Dirk's Grocery in Irvington for many years. The Whalon-Jackson home was located two houses north of Greenfield Avenue. On the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1908), you can see it just below the "T" and "O" in the name "Tomlinson." The house was demolished in the 1970s for a warehouse. (IUPUI digital archives) 

Carrie Whalon was very active in the First Baptist Church of Irvington at 231 Good Avenue. At least two other members, Lizzie Compton and Minnie Highbaugh, were also involved in the suffrage movement. (photo taken in 2012) 

For further reading on Indiana's suffrage movement:  Anita Morgan, "We Must Be Fearless," The Woman Suffrage Movement in Indiana. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press, 2020. 

     I wish to thank Anne Hardwick who greatly aided in the research for this post. I also wish to thank Steve Barnett and Paula Schmidt at the Irvington Historical Society. If anyone has a clarification or additional information about this interesting woman, please reach out to us. 

Irvington Historical Society

Sources: State Suffrage Convention and Carrie Chapman Catt:  "Leaders of Suffrage Leagues and National Head to Confer," Indianapolis Star, June 18, 1916, 47; "Disappointed Over Suffrage Conference," Indianapolis News, June 20, 1916, 3; Carrie Whallon, Minnie Highbaugh, and Lizzie Compton at the convention: Indianapolis Recorder, June 24, 1916, 2; Marriage to John Whallon, Kentucky Marriage Licenses on Ancestry.com; Visit from her son: Indianapolis Recorder, May 20, 1911, 8; Move to Greenfield Avenue--Indianapolis Recorder, July 22, 1911, 4; Purchase of 438 South Ritter--Indianapolis Recorder, June 24, 1916, 8; First Woman's Franchise Club: Indianapolis Recorder, April 15, 1916, 8; Indianapolis News, April 22, 1916; Indianapolis Recorder, May 6, 1916, 2; Indianapolis Recorder, September 23, 1916, 2; Indianapolis Recorder, October 7, 1916, 2; Republican party chapter in Irvington--"Robison Best Asset of Shank Campaign," Indianapolis News, April 21, 1921; Death announcement--Indianapolis Recorder, August 31, 1927; Her will and death certificate were obtained on Ancestry.com 

     

The McCord Family Moved to University Avenue

     Harvey and Ada Belle McCord's move from Seymour, Indiana to Irvington in 1931 likely surprised many of their neighbors and friends. The McCords had been a fixture in Jackson County for many years as they raised all six of their children in that community. In fact, all six of the McCords graduated from high school and some even went on to college, a rare feat in early twentieth-century Indiana. Mr. McCord's humble beginnings as a baker did not reveal his future path as his neighbors later elected him twice as the sheriff of Jackson County as a Republican in a heavily Democratic area. He also became involved in real estate. 

     By 1930, three of their older children, Margaret, Robert, and Gladys had settled in Indianapolis and had started their families. Another older daughter, Pauline, moved to Arizona where the climate was better for her tuberculosis diagnosis. Perhaps longing to be near their grandchildren, Harvey and Ada Belle, along with their two youngest children, Emma and Harvey, Jr., sold their beautiful Seymour home and moved to Indianapolis.

     The McCords first rented a small bungalow at 1035 North Euclid Avenue just west of Irvington. An Indianapolis News article reveals that Harvey McCord purchased the double at 5706-08 University Avenue in the spring of 1932 from Marvin Deputy. Perhaps Mr. McCord bought the property with the idea of one side producing income or perhaps he bought it with the idea of renting it to family. The structure still contained a large wrap-around front porch popular during the Queen-Anne era of construction. The McCords would be able to sit out on the veranda and see the nearby Irving Circle Park and the Children Guardian's Home. 

Ada Belle, Harvey, and Emma McCord stood near their garage at 5706-08 University Avenue in 1932 (photo courtesy of Steve Lawton)

Emma McCord (later Lawton) stood at the edge of the sidewalk leading to 5706 University Avenue. The photo is important for not only documenting the future Mrs. Lawton, but also for what is behind her. The double at 5706-08 University Avenue still had its Queen-Anne wrap-around front porch in the 1930s. ( see Sanborn below) Also visible in the photo is the home at 5712 University Avenue. Note the mansard roofline. The residence was the former home of the First Baptist Church, an African-American congregation and was erected in 1891. The congregation moved out the building in 1910 for a larger church on Good Avenue. (photo courtesy of Steve Lawton)

Emma McCord Lawton posed on the front porch at 5706 University Avenue in 1937. (photo courtesy of Steve Lawton)

An early twentieth-century Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows that 5706-08 University Avenue used to have a wrap-around porch. (photo courtesy of IUPUI)

5706-08 University Avenue and 5712 University Avenue in the summer of 2021. 

     Harvey, Ada Belle, Emma, and Harvey, Jr. moved into 5706 while their daughter Gladys and their son-in-law, Floyd Cox, moved into 5708. Floyd managed the Haag's Drug Store on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Audubon Road so he could easily walk to and from work. Gladys and Floyd also placed an ad in the Indianapolis News on October 28, 1932, announcing that they had a room to rent at 5708 University Avenue and that they would also include breakfast as part of the deal. It was the Great Depression after all and any additional income was helpful.  

Floyd Cox was the son-in-law of Harvey and Ada Belle McCord.  He was a pharmacist for Haag's Drug Store at East Washington Street and Audubon Road in the 1930s. The Cox family also lived in the apartment adjacent to the McCords at 5708 University Avenue during that decade. (Indianapolis Star, May 16, 1935)

     The McCords celebrated two joyous events shortly after moving to Irvington. First, their daughter, Pauline, who had been living in Arizona, came home to spend the summer with her parents in 1932. She later returned to Arizona. Secondly, the entire family gathered in the spring of 1935 for the wedding of Emma McCord, the youngest daughter, to Burrell Lawton at the Irvington Methodist Church. The family still possesses film footage of the McCords gathering at the church for the wedding.  Emma and Burrell drove out to Colorado and along the way encountered one of the worst floods in the history of that state. Burrell Lawton documented the event with his movie camera. They also hiked in the Rockies and visited with family. 

In the spring of 1935, Emma McCord and Burrell Lawton traveled to Colorado to visit family. Along the way, they encountered one of the worst floods in the history of that state. At some point in their journey, they came upon this washed-out road. (photo courtesy of Steve Lawton)

     Back in Irvington, the University Avenue double became a compound for McCord relatives. The Cox, Coffey, Lawton, and other relatives resided in the double. At some point, Harvey and Ada moved into 5708 while other McCord family members leased 5706. Mr. McCord remained active in his lodges and clubs. Mrs. McCord was very involved in the Methodist church. Her grandson, Steve Lawton, described her as a person who dressed up everyday. She even wore high-heeled shoes on most days. 

In the winter of 1937, either Mr. or Mrs. McCord, took this beautiful snowy-weather photo scene from their front porch at 5706-08 University Avenue. The front porch of 5712 University Avenue is visible as is the fence for the Children's Guardian Home at 5751 University Avenue. (photo courtesy Steve Lawton)

     Harvey and Ada Belle spent most of the war years near their children and grandchildren. Life changed for the family when Mr. McCord died in 1945. Ada Belle moved in with her daughter Gladys in nearby Wanamaker. The last of the McCords moved out of the double on University Avenue in 1946. Mrs. McCord passed away in 1952. 

     Editor's Note: Most of the information for this post came from Steve Lawton's unpublished family history. Mr. Lawton is the grandson of Harvey and Ada Belle McCord. To learn more about the Lawton family, click on the link below. Other sources for this post include Indianapolis City Directories, Federal Census Records, and Obituaries for the McCord family. 

Irvington at 150: African-American Residents During the Early Years

 A Call for Scholarship! Graduate students seeking an idea for a thesis or dissertation should consider a thorough study of Irvington's African-American population. This post will be insufficient and is merely an introduction. Work is needed! 

When Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson platted Irvington in 1870 and later chartered the town in 1873 they envisioned a wealthy enclave away from the problems of the nearby city of Indianapolis. In fact, they put in strict covenants banning slaughterhouses, soap factories, and alcohol. They did not add laws regulating who could live in the neighborhood. That would come later. Most of the earliest white residents, who built large homes on expansive lots, were primarily native-born and Protestant. Catholics and immigrants would later move into the neighborhood, but African-Americans have lived in Irvington from day one. So who were these families and what do we know about their lives? 

The 1880 Federal Census reveals that of the 567 residents of Irvington, at least 28 African-Americans or "mulattos" resided in the town. Most are listed as "servants" or "laborers." The vast majority of the black population hailed from Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina. Several children were born in Indiana. The census also reveals that Gabriel Boyd, an African-American farmer, was married to a white German woman named Christiana. 

Emma Cook holds Isabelle Layman in 1907. Ms. Cook worked for the Layman family at 5731 East Washington Street. Dozens of other African-Americans moved to Irvington to work for wealthy white families. (photo courtesy of Isabelle Layman Troyer) 

In 1887, the black population in Irvington was large enough to support a church. On July 3, 1887, the Reverend John L. Williams convened the first service at the Irvington Public School. By 1889, the church had a governing board composed of George Armstrong, Gabriel Boyd, and Jeremiah Brooks. The trustees sought funds to erect a structure and achieved that dream on May 17, 1891, when the congregation laid the cornerstone for a building at 5712 University Avenue. Over 1000 people assembled for the big event as African-Americans from other congregations attended the ceremony. Seven street cars full of people stopped at the Irvington Depot where families then walked down to the Irving Circle Park. Several pastors assisted the Reverend Charles Williams that day. Four separate black Masonic lodges sent members to the ceremony to assist with the cornerstone laying led by William T. Boyd and George Knox. Numerous residents donated money for the new church. The culminating moment came when the crowd marched behind a military band one block away to the new site. The Second-Empire style church complete with a mansard roof served until the congregation built a larger structure at 231 Good Avenue in 1910. 

The First Baptist Church opened its doors at 5712 University Avenue in 1891. The congregation outgrew the structure and later moved to 231 Good Avenue in 1910. W. Lee Thomas, a local realtor, appears to have purchased the property and converted it into a home. The front porch was added in the 1910s or 1920s. (photo taken on February 7, 2021 by Wm. Gulde) 

The Indianapolis Recorder, a black-owned publication, provided Hoosier communities an opportunity to submit news. Black reporters from Irvington faithfully sent in dispatches on the comings and goings of the neighborhood especially as it began to grow in the late nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century. The updates reveal a vibrant community centered around church, clubs, and family. In 1899, the Recorder printed that Nellie Harris of the local chapter of the Booker T. Washington Literary Society read a paper titled, "A Message to the Negro Race." After her presentation, the club had the following debate: "Resolved, that the United States is justified in warring against the Natives in the Philippines." Burton Highbaugh stood for the affirmative while M. Garrison was opposed. The club then took a vote and decided that Mr. Garrison made the strongest case that the United States should not be at war with the Philippines. The club was open to both men and women.

Marshall "Major" Taylor, an Indianapolis athlete and an early black pioneer in the world of cycling, influenced thousands of young African-Americans to join the sport. Taylor won several races in North America and Europe despite the racism that he faced both on and off the track. The Indianapolis Recorder noted that several young black athletes in Irvington, inspired by Taylor, built a track near the neighborhood. In the summer of 1899, they held their first race. Participants included Woody Hedgepath, Jack Robinson, James Vincent, Phillip Tyree, and Carter Temple. Unfortunately, the race ended early after Carter Temple crashed and hurt himself. Woody Hedgepath was declared the winner. 

Marshall "Major" Taylor, the world-champion cyclist, did not live in Irvington but he inspired several young black athletes to build a cycling track near the neighborhood in 1899. (public domain)

The black women of Irvington were active in church, clubs, and in the suffrage movement. Most of the reports to the Indianapolis Recorder came from local women like Catherine Evans, Bertha Carpenter, Hattie Webster, Euvilous Jenkins, Anna Billips, Louise Bass and others. They wrote of church picnics, recent passings, and who was on the sick list and who had recovered. In April of 1899, an unidentified Irvington reporter noted that the "Widow Tucker recently purchased a beautiful lot north of Washington Street." The author then went on to announce that the Reverends Harrison and D. Taylor's sermon topic at the Baptist church would be, " Pick the mote out of your own eye." 

One of the most interesting events under the direction of African-America women in the neighborhood occurred in 1915 as a fundraiser for the First Baptist Church. Jennie Brock, who had been born into slavery and who had worked for several white families over the years in Irvington including the Johnsons, Ritters, Wades, and the Butlers came up with a startling idea. She proposed that they put on a "white" minstrel show. Minstrels were popular productions in the early twentieth century that lampooned black people. White actors frequently dressed in black face and mimicked or mocked African-Americans. The women of the church loved the idea and performed the show in early April of 1915. They whitened up their faces and imitated some of the most famous white women in America including Mrs. Potter Palmer, Mrs. Ava Willing Astor, Mrs. Wm. H. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Payne Whitney, Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, and others. The church was packed and a local reporter for the Indianapolis News noted that the women discussed the "servant problem." Years later the white suffragette, Grace Julian Clarke, wrote of the event in one of her columns in the Indianapolis Star, however, she incorrectly reported that the women portrayed various white women in Irvington. There is no evidence of this and they would have likely lost their jobs had they done so. 

The congregation of the First Baptist Church moved to a larger structure at 231 Good Avenue in 1910. (photo taken in 2012)

Several local black women participated in the suffrage movement in the early twentieth century. A blurb in the Indianapolis Recorder in 1916 noted that Mrs. Carrie Whallan, Lizzie Compton, and Minnie Highbaugh of Irvington attended the state convention at the Masonic Temple in downtown Indianapolis. They listened as the famous suffragette, Carrie Chapman Catt, delivered a speech titled, "Equal Suffrage: Foreign States." Steve Barnett, the director of the Irvington Historical Society, has been documenting other prominent black women from the neighborhood as well including Gertrude Mahorney, who was the first black woman to graduate from an Indiana college when she accepted her diploma in 1887. 

Some black residents of Irvington attended nearby Butler University, but those numbers were small. Several young men from the neighborhood served their country during World War I but came home to an ungrateful nation. The rise of the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana sent chills through the community. For Irvington's black population, they faced an ominous future after David Curtis Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the KKK and the most powerful man in the state, moved into the community in the early 1920s. To add insult, most of the newer subdivisions north and west of original plat added racist covenants into their plans. Ethel Shearer's subdivision north of the Pleasant Run Golf Course in 1924 warned that:

(2) The ownership and occupancy of lots and buildings in this addition are forever restricted to the members of the pure white race. No negro, mulatto, Chinese, Japanese or person of any race or mixture of race, except the members of the pure white race, shall acquire title to any lot or building or part of lot or building in this Addition, or acquire the right to occupy any such lot or building or part of lot or building as owners, tenant, roomers or otherwise, except that the white occupant of any lot or lots and residence building thereon, may permit his domestic servant or servants not of the pure white race to occupy a room or rooms in his said residence building or in the second story of his garage apartment to his residence building, during the time of such domestic service

Arthur V. Brown's Ellenberger Park Addition north of Pleasant Run Parkway platted about the same time  added the following racist covenant:

Fourth: That no negro or any person with negro blood shall own the premises or shall live other than as a servant on the same. 

While the original charter of Irvington did not contain racist covenants, later additions to the neighborhood like those located north of Pleasant Run Parkway forbade African-Americans from either building or living in those sections of Irvington. 

Years later when Shirley Rogers, an Indianapolis Star reporter interviewed local black residents, some recorded that they were fearful of the Klan during the 1920s and they felt the need to arm themselves. Despite the hatred leveled towards the community, Mary Leaks, who resided at 132 South Catherwood Avenue, noted that "Irvington used to be known as heaven on Earth until you died and went to heaven." 

In the summer of 1938, members of the First Baptist Church under the leadership of the Reverend Robert H. Noel gathered for a photograph. (photo courtesy of the Wagner family via Ancestry.com) 

     I would like to thank James Robinson, the historian for the First Baptist Church, for his assistance and guidance for this article. Mr. Robinson grew up in Irvington and knew many of the families mentioned in this post. I would also like to thank local historians Steve Barnett, Paul Diebold, and archivist, Paula Schmidt. To peruse digitized copies of the Indianapolis Recorder, click on the link below.

Indianapolis Recorder

Sources:  First Baptist Church: Brandon A. Perry, "Historic Black Church in Irvington Celebrates Legacy," Indianapolis Recorder, July 1, 2005, 11; Trustees in 1889--"Church Officers Elected," Indianapolis News, May 13, 1889, 1; Cornerstone Laying--"A Cornerstone Laid," Indianapolis News, May 18, 1891, 1; Literary Society debates--"Irvington Notes," Indianapolis Recorder, March 18, 1899, 1) Cycling--"From a Wheel," Indianapolis Recorder, June 17, 1899, 2; Irvington news in 1899--"Irvington Notes," Indianapolis Recorder, April 1, 1899, 1. White Minstrel--"Colored Church Women Stage White-Faced Minstrel Show," Indianapolis News, April 3, 1915 and Grace Julian Clarke, "More Early History of Irvington is Related," Indianapolis Star, October 25, 1925, 62. Suffrage--"Irvington Notes," Indianapolis Recorder, June 24, 1916, 2. Racist covenants: Abstract for 943 North Arlington Avenue, courtesy of Anne Hardwick. Abstract for 816 North Audubon Road, courtesy of Emily Jarzen. Later years--Shirley Rogers, "Church Holds History's Echoes," Indianapolis Star, May 17, 1971, 3. 

   

Children Along Irvington Avenue

On June 5, 1926, Judge Edward Felt was attempting to repair screens on the second story of his tall house at 64 North Irvington Avenue, when he fell from a ladder and on to the driveway below. His neighbor, Dr. John Kingsbury at 72 North Irvington Avenue, rushed to the scene, but tragically the judge passed away from his injuries later at Methodist Hospital.  Tributes and eulogies poured fourth from all over the state as Mr. Felt had served on the Indiana Court of Appeals. He was only 66 years old.

With her children grown and out of the house and with families of their own, Martha Thomas Felt, was now all alone in the large house. One of her children, Elsie Felt Caldwell, lived nearby at 30 North Bosart Avenue with her husband Howard Caldwell, Sr. and two children, Martha Virginia and Howard, Jr.  Mr. Caldwell's mother, Martha Caldwell still owned the Bosart Avenue home so Howard and Elsie made the decision to move in with Mrs. Felt in the larger Irvington Avenue home in 1926. They would remain with her for two years.

Photos from the mid-1920s and later show that the family concentrated on the children and grandchildren.  Snowstorms proved to be perfect opportunities to capture the kids at play. Even after the Caldwells moved out of 64 North Irvington Avenue, they still came back to visit Grandma Felt who remained in the home for many years.

David Browder posed with his cousins Howard and Martha Virginia Caldwell in their Grandmother's backyard at 64 North Irvington Avenue in 1927.  Behind the kids, you can see the Kingsbury home at 72 North Irvington Avenue. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Martha Virginia Caldwell pulled David Browder, her cousin, and Howard Caldwell, Jr., her brother, on a sled through some snow in the winter of 1927. The kids were playing in the backyard that belonged to Martha Thomas Felt at 64 North Irvington Avenue. Behind the kids, you can see the rear of 72 North Irvington Avenue. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Baby Boom:  Elsie Felt Caldwell, in the middle posed with her baby Martha Virginia Caldwell in 1918 along with two unidentified women and their babies in the front yard of the Felt home at 64 North Irvington Avenue. The second story and roofline of 63 North Irvington Avenue can be seen above the women. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

We are not certain at this time as to the names of the children in the photo, but behind the kids you can 63 North Irvington Avenue c1925. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

David Browder and Howard Caldwell, Jr. play in the front yard at 64 North Irvington Avenue c1927. Sadly, we do not know the name of the woman who took care of the boys. We believe her first name might be Lola. Behind the group, you can see the Kingsbury home at 72 North Irvington Avenue (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell Jr. on the front walk of 64 North Irvington Avenue in 1928 (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

"Edward" pushes Howard Caldwell, Jr. while a neighborhood girl looked on. The kids were in front of the Stone family home at 60 North Irvington Avenue. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

64 North Irvington Avenue in 2019

Sources:  "Judge Edward Felt Injured," Hancock Democrat, Jun19, 1926, 2; "Judge Edward Felt Fatally Injured," Hancock Democrat, June 10, 1926, 2;  Indiana Judicial Branch, ind.gov.org;

I am indebted to Ginny Hingst, the great granddaughter of Edward and Martha Felt.