Brookville Village Opened in 1949

      Four years after the end of World War II, the city of Indianapolis faced a housing shortage. Prices for existing homes remained out of reach for many residents. War-time shortages in certain sectors had hindered development, but that soon would change as developers purchased vacant land on the outskirts of the city. By the late 1940s, most of the land around Irvington had been developed, but there were still opportunities. Many acres east of South Audubon Road, west of Arlington Avenue, north of Brookville Road, and south of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad sat vacant on what was formerly the Shimer and Hartman family farms. 

     Developers Louis and Mildred Markun purchased the land and came up with a novel idea. They saw an opportunity that could benefit the city and would-be home buyers. The Markuns planned to build dozens of prefabricated homes and sell the properties for modest prices. For $400 dollars as a downpayment and $40 a month, local residents could own a piece of the American dream.  The houses ranged in cost from $6000 to $6400. An Indianapolis News article praised the couple for helping to ease the housing shortage in the city. Mildred Markun took the lead on the project. She had already made a name for herself as leader. Mayor John Kern had appointed her as only the third woman on the Park Board in 1935. Governor Henry Schricker appointed her to several other boards.  When a reporter questioned her about leading such an endeavor she responded that she "would rather be in business than just keeping house." 

     The Markuns hired Detroit architect Richard Pollman to design the homes. They employed Emanuel Farley & Son to construct the modest two and three bedroom dwellings.  The first house open to the public was at 515 South Audubon Road. The residence, painted white with green shutters, served as the model for the neighborhood. An Indianapolis Star article featured the house on March 20, 1949. The two-bedroom home, erected on a slab, had hardwood floors throughout and asphalt tile in the kitchen and bathroom. Mr. Pollman designed a large picture window in the living room along with a dinette and a utility room. Contractor Farley insulated the home. The house came with a forced-air Silent Sioux oil heating system and a waterheater. The kitchen was described as "streamlined" with an American 64" sink and steel kitchen cabinets. Mrs. Markun worked with Wm. H. Block Department Store to furnish the spec house. 

     Hundreds of people toured the house and the development during the open house. Many of those who walked through the residence worked across the street at the International Harvester plant. To say that the venture was a success might be an understatement.  In one week, the Markuns sold 153 houses to families and individuals. Their million-dollar investment proved to be a sound one. They later built other subdivisions north of Irvington. The small homes have served the community for nearly 80 years. Most of them have been altered or enlarged over time. 

Aerial shot of the intersection of Shimer and South Graham Avenues, 1949 (courtesy of Bass Co. Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Aerial photograph of Brookville Village located north of the International Harvester factory, 1949; The wide street is Brookville Road. In the distance, you can see the homes along South Arlington Avenue and those located north of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. (courtesy of Bass Photo Co. Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Two historical homes are visible in this aerial shot of Brookville Village in 1949. In the foreground you can see the home belonging to the Sutter family at 5718 Brookville Road. It is no longer standing. In the distance you can see the former Hartman farmhouse at 5802 Brookville Road. It is still standing in 2026. The Meyer family lived there in 1949. New homes along Shimer Avenue, South Graham Avenue, and Greenfield Avenue awaited their new homeowners. (courtesy of the Bass Co. Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Aerial photograph of new homes along Shimer, Greenfield, and Arlington Avenues in 1949; (courtesy of Bass Photo Co., Indiana Historical Society)

Aerial photograph of Brookville Village located in southern Irvington, 1949 (photo courtesy of Bass Photo Co., Indiana Historical Society)

Ad for Brookville Village spec home at 515 South Audubon Road (Indianapolis Star, March 20, 1949, p. 72)

515 South Audubon Road served as the model home for the Brookville Village subdivision. (Google Streetview, August, 2022)

Mildred Markun served as the lead developer on the Brookville Village subdivision. (Indianapolis Star, October 31, 1943, p. 59)

Sources:  Brookville Village--Roger Budrow, "Million-Dollar Subdivision Due With 170 Homes," Indianapolis News, January 7, 1949, p. 1; "Brookville Village," Indianapolis News, January 10, 1949, p. 10; "Brookville Village Housing Project To Be Open Sunday," Indianapolis Star, March 18, 1949, p. 43; "154 Homes Sold in Housing Project," Indianapolis Star, March 27, 1949, p. 27; "$6,400 Homes Are 'Sold Out'," Indianapolis News, March 22, 1949, p. 1; Mildred Markun--Lotys Benning Stewart, "They Achieve," Indianapolis Star, October 31, 1943, p. 54; Louis Markun--"Louis Markun Dies; Apartment Builder," Indianapolis Star, November 1, 1973, p. 61. 

Panoramic Photographs Show Many "Lost" Irvington Structures

      Throughout 1937 and 1938, a photographer from the Bass Photo Company documented the construction of the new International Harvester factory buildings along Brookville Road in southern Irvington. Inadvertently, he captured many structures no longer standing. Houses, a tavern, filling stations, and even Butler University appear on the margins of the photos. The Indiana Historical Society has uploaded 31 panoramic views of the construction of the complex. I have provided a link below to one of these images so that you can conduct your own investigations. 

Lost Houses:  The Shimer Farmstead

     The Shimer family predates Irvington. They had owned land along Brookville Road since 1829. In 1873 they built a beautiful Italianate home near what is today the intersection of Brookville Road and South Audubon Road. International Harvester officials purchased their land in 1937 and eventually demolished all of the structures on the former farm. 

Corydon and Hettie Shimer sold their farm to the International Harvester Company in 1937. Both of them lived long enough to witness the demolition of their beautiful home located on Brookville Road near South Audubon Road. (courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

Builders began clearing the Shimer land in 1937. The Shimer home on Brookville Road near Audubon Road had just a little while longer to stand. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

A Bass Photo Company employee stood atop a ladder or on a rooftop and captured one of the last photos of the Shimer home located on Brookville Road near South Audubon Road in 1938. The home had been completely surrounded by the new International Harvester factory. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

The 1927 Baist Map of Indianapolis shows the Shimer farm located on Brookville Road near South Audubon Road. (IU-Indianapolis Digital Collections)

Lost Houses: 5400 Block of Brookville Road

     For several years, Herman (Harry) and Louise Grabhorn lived next to the Shimer farm at 5451 Brookville Road. Mr. Grabhorn ran a music printing business next to his house. Their lives changed when the bulldozers and earthmoving crews arrived to build the International Harvester factory next door. Factory officials would eventually buy the Grabhorn residence along with several other homes and demolish the structures as the factory grew. 

Herman (Harry) and Louise Grabhorn along with their children lived in the pretty house at 5451 Brookville Road seen in this photograph. They witnessed the rise of the International Harvester factory from their dining room windows in 1937 and 1938. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

Herman (Harry) Grabhorn was a printer and advertised on this building (demolished) behind his home at 5451 Brookville Road. Ghosts of workers can be seen in the foreground. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

The Grabhorn home at 5451 Brookville Road along with several others were demolished. They used to exist on the south side of Brookville Road just east of South Irvington Avenue. (Google)

Lost Houses: South Ritter Avenue

     There used to be several homes in the 400 and 500 block of South Ritter Avenue. It was a diverse area of the neighborhood and home to a small black population. At one time, the pioneering Black suffragist, Carrie Whalon lived in the 400 block of South Ritter Avenue. By the 1930s when these photos were snapped, the street housed a mixture of Black and white families. 

After Henry Cress, who resided on the west side of Ritter Avenue just south of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, died in 1901, his widow Mary sold off eight lots in the Chambers and Tomlinson Addition in the 400 and 500 block of South Ritter Avenue. The houses above were located just north of Brookville Road on the west side of South Ritter Avenue. Heavy equipment and trucks were parked along the nearby streets on March 18, 1938, for the construction of International Harvester on Brookville Road. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

George W. and Willa Molden resided at 471 South Ritter Avenue in 1938 when this photo was snapped. That home was demolished for a series of commercial buildings. Mr. Molden worked for the city sanitation department. You can also see the filling station at 5506 Brookville Road also later demolished. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

Lost: A Tavern and a Filling Station on Brookville Road

     Although the construction sign for International Harvester blocks our view, you can still see the brick filling station at 5498 Brookville Road. (demolished). Maurice Kitterman operated the station. Joseph H. Meese managed a tavern in the larger white building at 5478 Brookville Road in 1938. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

5478 and 5498 Brookville Road (both demolished) as they looked on March 18, 1938. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.)

Lost: Butler University

     When the Bass Photo Company photographer snapped a long panoramic view of International Harvester on March 4, 1938, the employee had no idea that he was also documenting the last weeks of Butler University's Irvington campus. Opened in 1875, Butler University students attended classes in some of these buildings until 1928. For ten years, the structures sat vacant and fell to vandalism. Two weeks after this image was snapped, Butler officials razed the old campus for future redevelopment. 

Abandoned Butler University buildings and the power station tower loomed ghostly through the trees in a panoramic view of the construction of International Harvester on March 18, 1938. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

Lost: International Harvester/Navistar

     The opening of International Harvester in 1938 changed the trajectory of Irvington. With the Great Depression in full swing, the factory offered relief for hundreds of people who found work during the difficult era. Employees, both labor and management, moved into the neighborhood and kept it a vital place. Many of their descendants still live on the eastside of Indianapolis today. No panoramic photographer showed up in 2018 to document the demolition of the factory. The site is now a major distribution hub for the U.S. Post Office. 

The Indiana Historical Society has 31 different views of the construction of the International Harvester. To see those images, click on the link below. (photo courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

International Harvester Plant Construction

     I wish to thank Kent Hankins and Anne Hardwick for their assistance with this story.

Sources:  Navistar International Indianapolis Plant, Indianapolis, 1987; Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1901-1940; US Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; Baist Fire Insurance Maps, IU-Indianapolis Digital Collections; Walter F. Morse, "Old Butler Campus Fading; Administration Building Razed, Indianapolis Star, March 26, 1939, p. 10; Cress sale--"Sales of Real Estate," Indianapolis Journal, December 13, 1902, p. 8. 

The Young of Young Avenue

      They gathered under a beautiful shade tree at the intersection of South Drexel and Young Avenues each race-day weekend for the unofficial Christian Park Heights bicycle race. Any kid who had a bike could participate. You might be aware that Johnnie Parsons won the Indianapolis 500 in 1950, but did you know who crossed the finish line on South Drexel in that year? The boys awaited the official start from Wayne Bruness. Then, they sped south on Drexel to Brookville Road.  They hoped that no oncoming car would slow them down. They raced east on Brookville Road and north on Bosart Avenue. In their imaginations they could hear the crowds cheering.  They skidded around the corner onto Young Avenue, a gently sloping down-hill street. And then, the moment of truth arrived. Ron Huggler, of 4613 Young Avenue, passed under the shade tree before the others. Another race was in the history books.

Bike race in May, 1950: Wayne Bruness held the flag. The racers left to right: Johnnie Robeson, Dale May, Bob Butler, and Ron Huggler. Their starting and ending line was on South Drexel Avenue under a shade tree in the yard at 4601 Young Avenue. Behind the kids you can see the houses located at 4572 and 4602 Young Avenue. (photo courtesy of Ron Huggler) 

On race day, many boys would gather at the Huggler house at 4613 Young Avenue and play a board game called "Huggin' the Rail." It was a simple game of chance whereby kids rolled the dice to move their race car along an oval track. (image courtesy of boardgeek.com) 

     If you walked down Young Avenue in the 1940s and 1950s on a beautiful day, you would hear the sounds of children. Nearly every other home along the block had a child in it. For young Ron Huggler, it was a "paradise." The newer neighborhood with its affordable housing attracted many young couples just starting out in life. Some remained in the area for years while others moved into larger homes in other neighborhoods. After World War II ended, another influx of newer families moved in as the veterans took advantage of the GI Bill to buy a home. 

     Ron Huggler recalled that on Saturday mornings he and his family shopped in Irvington. He fondly remembered patronizing the F. W. Woolworth Co. and Danner Brothers. He loved stopping by Taylor's Ice Cream and Candy Store.  Sometimes, he would join his friends for a double matinee at the Irving Theater. They also patronized the Tuxedo, Arlington, Sheridan, and Emerson Theaters as well. During his teenage years, he loved to lunch at Wolman's Drugs on the corner of East Washington Street and Ritter Avenue where he dined on the delicious chili, a sandwich, and a flavored drink. He also enjoyed riding his bike to Bob Steele's Hobby Shop as they had numerous board games, models, train sets, and all kinds of toys. 

     During the summer months, the kids played baseball in a field near Pleasant Run. They also enjoyed hanging around the nearby railroad tracks to flatten pennies or other objects. On one occasion, Ron found a rail-line lantern along the tracks. Several decades later he donated that artifact to the Irvington Historical Society. Another fun adventure for the kids was a bike ride or walk to Bob's Market on Orion Avenue just west of Emerson Avenue. Here, the kids could purchase an array of candy including bubblegum, licorice whips, Red Hots, Jaw Breakers, and even candy cigarettes. (Yikes!) The store had a huge collection of large chocolate bars, most of which cost five cents. 

     There were so many kids living in the area that years later as adults they gathered for reunions in places like Christian Park and the Huggler home. Most of the kids in the photos below are in their 80s now if they are still with us. Enjoy this trip down Memory Lane also known as Young Avenue. 

Several kids in the neighborhood gathered at the Huggler home at 4613 Young Avenue c1945. Behind the kids you can see the homes at 4609 and 4605 Young Avenue. Top Row: Unknown child holding flag, Unknown blond-haired boy, Ron Huggler: Middle Row: Unknown girl, Linda Teeguarden, Bethany Teeguarden, possibly Bonnie Dove; Cathy Dudley with flag. 

Many kids posed on the front yard of 4613 Young Avenue c1946. Top row: Ron Huggler, Sandra Clift; Middle Row: Dale Male, possibly  Wally or Johnny Paul, Alan Miller, Cathy Dudley; Front row:  Johnnie Robeson, Ronnie Riebe, Randy Toler, Linda Riebe, and Bob Butler. 

Bob Butler and Cathy Dudley posed in their western gear in the front yard of 4613 Young Avenue. Behind the kids you can see the north side of the 4600 block of Young Avenue c1947. 

Barbara Reed and her pet chihuahua visited the Hugglers at 4613 Young Avenue c1946. 

Billy, Connie, and Patty Harrell posed in their front yard at 4571 Young Avenue c1950. Behind the kids you can see 4568 and 4572 Young Avenue. 

Cowgirls, Cathy Dudley and Barbara Reed c1945 in front of the Reed home at 4572 Brookville Road.

Wayne Bruness and Ron Huggler posed in the Huggler living room at 4613 Young Avenue on Christmas Day c1947. 

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Ron Huggler and Patrick c 1952 at the Huggler home at 4613 Young Avenue.

Ron Huggler stood at his patrol post in the winter of 1951, Behind him you can see 4658 Brookville Road.

Meanwhile on nearby Farrington Avenue in 1949!! (Hoosier Chronicles)

Sources:  Ron Huggler, "The Best of Times: Random Thoughts on My Journey to Now," Unpublished memories of life on Young Avenue, 2006; Interview with Ron Huggler, January 23, 26, February 1, 2023. I also wish to thank Mike Widner. 

South Arlington Avenue--1965

On Friday, June 4, 1965, a member of the Indianapolis Police Department arrived in Irvington to document some of the larger potholes around the neighborhood and found a sizable crater at the intersection of South Arlington and Beechwood Avenues.  The photographer snapped the image before the street was widened as residents on the eastern side of Arlington Avenue used to have more of a front yard. So who might have been home on that sunny day?  Likely no one as most of the folks along that block had full-time jobs.

The front porch, visible in the foreground of the photo, is that of 429 South Arlington Avenue on the southeast corner of Arlington and Beechwood Avenues. Bernice H. Bunner, the widow of Gale Bunner, lived in that house and was most likely at her job at a Sears Department Store where she was an office worker. Next door at 431 South Arlington Avenue, lived Ralph and Florence Brokenhamer. They were a busy couple as they ran the Dog N Suds Drive-In at 6020 Brookville Road. Mr. Brokenhamer made headlines in the Indianapolis News in 1961 when he found a wallet containing $1000 at his drive-in. He called the police and they successfully found the grateful owner.

Living in the bungalow at 437 South Arlington Avenue, was James F. and Sherron Skaggs. Were they home when the photo was snapped? Mr. Skaggs was most likely at work where he was the assistant manager for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. Louis T. and Marguerite Mertz resided next door at 439 South Arlington Avenue. Mr. Mertz managed the Anchor Inn Restaurant at 1616 North Arlington Avenue while his wife worked in the office at St. Francis Hospital.

In the only two-story home visible in the photo, resided Aaron and Eura York and their family at 443 South Arlington Avenue.  Mr. York at the time worked as a distributer for the Schilling Chilling Company. He worked in the heating and cooling industry for decades.  The only other home that can be seen this image is that of 451 South Arlington Avenue as the small house at 447 South Arlington had not yet been built. Arthur L. and Naomi P. Burns lived in the bungalow at 451 South Arlington. Mr. Burns served as an accountant for the Real Silk Company located on Massachusetts Avenue.

400 block of South Arlington Avenue on June 4, 1965 (photo courtesy of Patrick Pearsey)

400 block of South Arlington Avenue on April 7, 2020

I wish to thank Patrick Pearsey, who chronicles the history of the Indianapolis Police Department. 

Sources: Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1965; "Drive-in Owner Finds $1000.06," Indianapolis News, June 3, 1961, 13.

The Final Days of the International Harvester/ Navistar Plant

Irvington has gone through many changes over the years. The neighborhood began as an exclusive enclave, morphed into a college town, and by the mid-twentieth century it had transitioned into an industrial era. While the original founders might have chafed at the notion that factories might be constructed near the community, it would be enterprises like the addition of the International Harvester plant at 5565 Brookville Road in 1938 that would keep the area stable for the remainder of the twentieth century.

Shortly after its construction, factory workers and management began to purchase or lease residences throughout Irvington. It would be an easy walk or a quick drive to work. During World War II, the factory became instrumental into contributing to the "arsenal of democracy."  Sons followed their fathers into the plant as workers brought home decent wages. A similar story unfolded when Navistar moved in.

Today, the factory is silent as are many nearby. In the spring of 2018, demolition crews have been working around the clock to dismantle this once vibrant place. The Irvington Historical Society has been documenting the lives and stories of the workers at the plants. If you are in the Indianapolis area, be sure to stop by the Bona Thompson Center and check out the rooms dedicated to this era of Irvington's history.

The former International Harvester/ Navistar plant in the spring of 2018

Coming Down: The International Harvester/ Navistar factory at 5565 Brookville Road (spring, 2018)

The Stone House on the Corner

One of the most intriguing and unusual homes in Irvington is located at 380 South Emerson Avenue. Likely built in 1907 for Elmer and Luella Gay, the house appears to face Brookville Road, but has an Emerson Avenue address. Mr. Gay worked for the New York Store and Pettis Dry Goods. He was also involved in Republican party politics.  Mrs. Gay was an active club woman and helped to raise their two daughters, Dorothy and Hazel. The 1910 Federal Census reveals that the Gays also had an African-American servant named Kate Tarant living with them along with Mrs. Gay's mother, Ada Smith.

Little is known about the construction of the residence nor why the Gays chose fieldstone, but they did hail from Maine so perhaps they had been inspired by a house in that state. More investigative work will be needed on this topic.

The "Society" sections of the Indianapolis News and Indianapolis Star reveal that many events and meetings took place in the dwelling. On November 9, 1909, Mrs. Gay hosted the Irvington Tuesday Club and gave a speech on "The Development of the English Novel."  Her daughter, Dorothy, a student at Butler University, hosted a dance at the house on Christmas night, 1913, for the Butler football team and the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. The Indianapolis Star carried a lengthy description of the event. Forty guests attended and found a house decorated for the gala. Mrs. Gay placed clusters of poinsettias and Christmas candles throughout the living room and dining room. Holly dangled from archways and windows.  A small Christmas tree on a large table served as the centerpiece in the dining room. The Gays recruited several adult family members to serve as chaperones.

Perhaps one of the loveliest events to take place in the home occurred on the evening of February 2, 1918, with the wedding of Dorothy Gay to Lt. Clifford R. Wright. Mr. Wright was about to be deployed to Europe during World War One. The Reverend M.L. Haines, a Presbyterian minister, conducted the service.  The couple stood under an archway draped with an American flag as they spoke their vows. A violinist played "The Broken Melody" by August Van Biene and "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert.  Miss Ruby Winders sang "Out of the Mist," while Miss Vera Sweetman played the piano. Guests sat near the fireplace festooned with palms, ferns, and greenery. Pink and white roses donned nearby tables and window ledges. It must have been a beautiful night.

Mr. Gay had a strong interest in Republican-party politics. He served twice on the Indianapolis Board of Pubic Safety. In 1929, seventeen prominent businessmen in the city endorsed him as a mayoral candidate although he later removed his name in favor of another candidate. In 1930, he was appointed to run the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin. He had been an active Mason his entire adult life so at the age of 65, he took over the responsibility of running the home. He was a widower at that point in his life as Mrs. Gay had passed away in 1926. His daughter Hazel and her husband Justus Paul took over the responsibility for running the property at 380 South Emerson Avenue. They remained until 1932.  Mr. Gay died in Methodist Hospital in 1954.

Elmer Gay's photo appeared in the Indianapolis Star on November 20, 1909, after he was appointed to the Indianapolis Board of Public Safety by Mayor Lew Shanks

Elmer Gay in 1930

Hazel Gay's wedding announcement appeared in the Indianapolis Star on August 5, 1917. Her sister, Dorothy, married six months later.  

380 South Emerson Avenue in 2018

Sources:  "E.F. Gay Seeks Office of Mayor," Indianapolis Star, September 25, 1929, 1; "E.F. Gay on Board of Public Safety," Indianapolis Star, November 15, 1922, 1; "Elmer F. Gay Withdraws," Indianapolis Star, October 5, 1929, 1; "Gay Named Superintendent of Indiana Masonic Home," Indianapolis Star, July 8, 1930, 1; Elmer Gay Obituary, Indianapolis Star, November 27, 1954, 16; "Society" (Butler Dance) Indianapolis Star, December 26, 1913, 7; "Becomes Officer's Bride," Indianapolis Star. February 3, 1918, 28.

Who Lived Here? An Otolaryngologist and His Family Along Irvington Avenue

Dr. Daniel Shimer Adams and Ruth Brown Adams moved into the large house at 59 North Irvington Avenue in 1924. The 48-year-old ear, nose, and throat doctor worked downtown and had lived in a few other neighborhood homes before finally settling down on Irvington Avenue. The couple were married in Wanamaker in southeastern Marion County in the spring of 1910. They dwelled in that region of the county during the early years of their marriage, but eventually moved to homes along both Audubon Road and East Washington Street. Dr. Adams was the grandson of William and Susan Shimer, who were prominent farmers along Brookville Road in southern Irvington. Mrs. Adams was an active club woman and frequently hosted the Irvington Chautauqua Reading Club at 59 Irvington Avenue.  Society snippets from the Indianapolis Star revealed that she was also quite active with the Butler University Alumni Association. The couple had two children, George E. and Mary E.  The family dwelled in the large house throughout the Great Depression and moved from Irvington in 1941. Dr. Adams lived until 1964 and Mrs. Adams passed away in 1976.

Sometime in 1926 Dr. Adams sat for this photograph, which he submitted to the publisher of Fellow Citizens of Indianapolis.

59 North Irvington in 2015: This late-nineteenth-century home was converted into apartments in 1946.

Drive into the Country--1945

As more people purchased automobiles in the 1920s and 1930s, they enjoyed venturing out into the countryside and into nearby villages.  A popular route for Irvingtonians was to head down the Brookville Road.  They could motor to New Palestine, Morristown, and down to Rushville, or if they were really up for an adventure then they could follow the federal highway all the way to Brookville and then to Cincinnati.  Not far from Irvington, the Malon family owned land at the intersection of the Brookville Road and Bade Road. Across the highway from the Malon home, Selma Malon Nau and her husband Will Nau operated a gas station.  In 1945, a member of the Malon-Nau family stood at the  petrol station and snapped an image of the home place. It appeared to be a rainy day.

Remnants of the gas station remained well into the 1980s, however, there is no evidence of it today as the highway has been widened.  The Malon-Nau home still stands although it too has been altered.   Nearby development south of Brookville Road has encroached upon the farmstead, but the area around the dwelling still retains the bucolic setting that mid-century Irvingtonians would have recognized.

Malon-Nau Home at 10236 Brookville Road in 1945

10236 Brookville Road in 2014

The historic image is courtesy of the Malon-Nau family via Ancestry.com 

Shimer Brothers Reunited in 1914

The Shimer family predates Irvington.  Elias and Mahala Dunn Shimer purchased 240 acres of farmland along the Brookville Road in 1829.  They eventually built a beautiful Italianate dwelling near the intersection of South Audubon Road and Brookville Road. (destroyed for a factory)  Their youngest son, Corydon, inherited the land and he farmed there well into the twentieth century.

On September 5, 1914, four Shimer brothers gathered at the home of William Shimer, who lived near the  original family farm at 4905 Brookville Road.  The Indianapolis Star reported that it was the first time all of the brothers and their families had gathered in one place for sixty years.  They were quite elderly by this point as Caleb, who lived near Fortville, was 91; William, who hosted the event, was 88; Isaac, who traveled from Decatur, Illinois, was 85; and Corydon, who lived on the family farm was a "mere youth" at 76.

Caleb, William, Isaac, Corydon Shimer at Caleb's farm in the Fortville/Mohawk area in Hancock County, Indiana (c1914)

Corydon, Isaac, William, and Caleb Shimer visiting at Wm's home at 4905 Brookville Road. (c1914)

Elias Shimer, the family patriarch, purchased many acres of land along the Brookville Road south of present-day Irvington in the early nineteenth century.  

Mahala Dunn Shimer, wife of Elias, managed the family in the large brick Italianate home in the 5500 block of Brookville Road.  She lived to see the founding and subsequent construction of Irvington, north of her home.  

Two of our regular contributors at Vintage Irvington, David Bailey and Larry Muncie, are both related to this pioneering Warren Township family.  The historic photos of the brothers are courtesy of David Bailey, while the photos of the elder Shimers are courtesy of Mr. Geiser from Ancestry.com.

Other sources:  Indianapolis Star, September 6, 1914, 24; and January 4, 1915, 3.
Willa Mildred Sammis Bailey Smith, From Elias Shimer to Willa Sammis (Unpublished memoir of Ms. Smith), 1974

Film Clip: Charles Dorn's Standard Grocery and a Grand Avenue Scene c1933

Charles Dorn, a popular Irvington grocer, operated a Standard Grocery Store on the northwest corner of Brookville Road and Grand Avenue. In this very brief clip, c. 1933, patrons exit and enter the store.  The final scene shows some employees standing along South Grand Avenue.  Behind them, you can see houses on the eastern side of the street (400 block).  I have included a shot of those dwellings in 2012.  This historic film is courtesy of Larry Muncie.

400 block of South Grand Avenue in 2012

Film Clip of Charles Dorn's Standard Grocery and the Nearby Horner House c.1933

Charles Dorn operated a small Standard Grocery store on the northwest corner of Brookville Road and Grand Avenue. (just east of South Emerson Avenue) Sometime in the early 1930s, a family member or friend filmed Mr. Dorn and some of his workers as they exited the store.  Mr. Dorn can be seen wearing a hat and smoking a cigar.  Larry Muncie, a local historian, remembers going to the store during World War II with his mother Margaret Muncie and his Aunt Gladys Shimer.  During the war years, Mr. Dorn could only carry canned goods because of the rations on meat and other items. Eventually, a Standard Grocery Store would be built on East Washington Street. Mr. Dorn's store still stands today although it has been drastically altered and is now a church.

So you know what you are seeing, I have included a sequential history by clip:

0-5 seconds--The exterior of the store

6-20 seconds--You can see the employees exiting the store and playfully posing for the camera. Behind them, you can see a bungalow on the southside of Brookville Road near Emerson and a brief shot of the Horner House on South Emerson.  Towards the end of this segment, you can see Mr. Dorn standing along the Grand Avenue side.  A small bungalow on Grand is behind him.

22--27 seconds--You can see a young man come from around a bus parked on Brookville Road.  Behind him, you have a clear shot of the Horner House on South Emerson Avenue.

This amazing film clip is courtesy of Larry Muncie. I am working to get rid of the labeling on the film. Contemporary images show the same views in 2012.

Charles Dorn's Standard Grocery in 2012

The Horner House has recently been purchased. You may follow their blog by clicking on my favorite links.