Snowy Layman Avenue Images

      Donald and David Peters, who resided at 312 North Layman Avenue, enjoyed some fun playtime after a snowstorm struck Irvington in the winter of 1945. Several inches of snow provided plenty of fun for sledding and snowball fights. Behind the boys, you can see that few people had ventured out yet. Other residents of the block on that snowy day included the Weaver, Ensworth, May, Davis, Schowe, Stobaugh, Jenkins, and Reel families. 

David and Donald Peters sled down a small incline at 312 North Layman Avenue during the winter of 1945. Behind the boys, you can see the snow on the rooftops in the 300 block of Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

Donald Peters saluted the photographer, most likely his mother or father, in the winter of 1945. Behind him, you can see the houses in the 300 block of Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

David and Donald Peters posed in front of their home at 312 North Layman Avenue on a snowy day in 1945. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald and David Peters prepared to have fun on a snowy day in front of their home at 312 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

David and Donald Peters enjoyed the fresh snowfall in front of their home at 312 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

     I wish to thank the Peters family for their generosity in loaning me photos and telling me their stories. 

Sources: Information for the names of neighbors along Layman Avenue came from Polks's Indianapolis City Directory (1945). 

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.

Historic Photos of the Benton House Emerge

   Several years ago, the  Irvington Historical Society acquired the glass negatives that belonged to Osbert Sumner of 68 North Ritter Avenue. Mr. Sumner, a Canadian by birth, loved photography. As a young man, he documented his life. Most of the images are from his time as a member of the Indianapolis Canoe Club. His photographs are gorgeous and show beautiful river and stream scenes along with many male and female friends who floated down local waterways with him. Some of the photographs also show his hometown in Oakville, Ontario. The Irvington Historical Society will be exhibiting images from his collection in 2021.

   Hiding in plain sight in the Sumner collection were images of the Benton house at 312 South Downey Avenue. Nothing in the photographs made sense however, as the aging Professor Allen R. Benton, a widower after 1900, lived alone in the beautiful Second Empire home. So, who were all of these young people hanging out at his residence on a summer day?

    The answer required some detective work, that I must say, is still ongoing. Thanks to a subscription to Newspapers.com, I was able to find some morsels to assist with the mystery. On May 25, 1901, the Indianapolis News carried this society bit on page 22:

      Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Gardner have taken the residence of Dr. Allen R. Benton at Irvington for the summer and will go there on Wednesday.

     F. C. Gardner? Who was this? My research led me further to Fred C. Gardner, the future secretary-treasurer of the Atkins Saw Company. The rising business star was very active with the Disciples of Christ where he might have met Allen R. Benton. He later replaced Dr. Benton as the treasurer for Butler University in 1903. Mr. Gardner was 39 years old in 1901 as was his wife Cara Davis Gardner. They had two children, four-year-old Mary and two-year-old, Margaret. They lived at 1318 North Broadway in 1901.

     The Gardners likely found the Benton house  as a quiet retreat away from the city. But where did Professor Benton go? Society snippets in both the Indianapolis Journal and News indicated that he traveled to visit relatives for part of the summer although he was occasionally home. Did the Gardners remain in his house during those times?

      Then, I found this amazing blurb published on page three in the Indianapolis Journal on July 3, 1901:

      Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Gardner have taken Professor Benton's home in Irvington for the summer and have invited a number of friends out to spend the Fourth with them.  

     Did I just uncover the exact day and year as to when these amazing photographs were snapped? Osbert Sumner was 29 years old and single at the time. What was his connection to Fred C. Gardner? They were both active members of the Republican Party and in the Masons. Was Mr. Gardner also a member of the Canoe Club? In one of the photographs, a young man is wearing patriotic-striped socks. Wouldn't one do that on the Fourth of July?

      By examining photos of Mr. Gardner in the Indianapolis newspapers, I am able to determine that he is in these historic images along with Osbert Sumner, of whom we already knew what he looked like. The women in the photos still need more research. One of them might be Cara Davis Gardner. Another might be her sister Hazel Bird Davis, who never married, and lived with the Gardners at the time. Two of the younger girls in the photos might be Mary and Margaret Gardner.

    On the day that the photographs were snapped, it appears to be late in the afternoon or early evening as the sun is in the western sky. Mr. Gardner, who has a beard and is wearing a dark suit, can be seen holding the shutter release cable in a few of the images. You will note that the address of the house prior to the neighborhood's annexation as 364 Downey Avenue. This fact also tripped me up in the beginning.

      More work is needed, but this exciting find adds new imagery about one of the neighborhood's most important landmarks. You will note that there were no immediate neighbors and that there used to be a carriage house or a barn nearby. The photos were taken before the brick was painted and it appears that Professor Benton used planks as a front sidewalk.

Fred C. Gardner, in the center, posed with three ladies, one of whom might have been his wife, Cara Davis Gardner, and one of whom might have been his sister-in-law, Hazel Davis, along with a young man on the stoop of the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue most likely on July 4, 1901.

An unidentified young girl sat along the stairs leading to the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue on July 4, 1901. A carriage house or barn can be seen in the distance. Note that the sidewalk leading up to Professor Benton's home used to be wooden planks. 

Children posed on the lawn of the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue on July 4, 1901. Two of the young girls in the photo are perhaps Mary and Margaret Gardner, the children of Fred and Cara Davis Gardner.

A group of younger adults gathered at the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue most likely on July 4, 1901. We only know the name of Fred Gardner, who is seated second from the right. His wife, Cara Davis Gardner, and his sister-in-law, Hazel Davis, might be seated nearby. 

Osbert Sumner, an amateur photographer and member of the Indianapolis Canoe Club, posed on the lawn at the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue with several other younger people including Fred C. Gardner, seated in the chair, on July 4, 1901. Mr. Sumner, who is seated on the ground, later moved to 68 North Ritter Avenue. 

A woman watches over the children at a lawn fete on the grounds of the Benton home at 312 South Downey Avenue on July 4, 1901. 

Fred C. Gardner as he appeared on March 1, 1906, in the Indianapolis Star

The Benton House at 312 South Downey Avenue in the spring of 2020 (photo by Wm. Gulde) 

Scans of these historic images are courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society. I also wish to thank Deedee Davis and Paula Schmidt for their assistance with this post. 

Layman Avenue Home Then and Now

This intriguing home located at 72 North Layman Avenue has graced the bricked street since the early 1900s.  The architectural style of the house is an interesting blend of Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts.  The Johnson family were some of the first people to call the dwelling "home."  Miss Hildreth Davis, a local wedding and party planner, lived in this house for many years in the 1960s and 1970s.  The historic image, taken c1973, shows the front porch of the home along with Miss Davis's beloved dogs.  A beautiful snow has fallen and in the distance you can see the rear of the double at 51-53 North Ritter Avenue.  A contemporary photo, taken by local artist Grace Kite, shows the home in 2013.

72 North Layman Avenue c1973

72 North Layman Avenue in 2013

The historic image is courtesy of members of the Davis Family via Ancestry.com

Scenes Along South Arlington in the 1940s and 1950s

These wonderful candid images reveal the front yards, tall trees, and tasteful homes that graced South Arlington Avenue in the mid-twentieth century.  Friends and McCleery family members served as the central focus of each image.  This stretch of Arlington remained a narrow two-way street at the time with a thick canopy of maple, oak, and ash above it.  Later generations widened the street and took some of the charm away from this typical Irvington avenue.

  

In the top photo, Wilda Lee and her brother Chuck McCleery of 317 South Arlington Avenue, posed for a photograph along South Arlington Avenue in 1949. It looks like it might have been the first day of school. The McCleery children had a short walk to IPS #85 as it was just across the street! Behind the kids, you can see an approaching car and an Edward Hopperish lone female character walking on the sidewalk.

These two photos taken in 1949 and 1957 show the same view.  In the top photo, Wilda Lee McCleery took her scooter out for a spin in 1949.  Behind her, you can see homes on the west side of South Arlington Avenue near the intersection with Oak Avenue.  Note the beautiful line of trees.  Joyce McCleery posed for her family eight years later in the same spot..  Behind the girls you can see 308, 268, 264, and beyond.

 Cute little Joyce McCleery posed next to the "for sale" sign in front of her home at 317 South Arlington Avenue in 1957.   Behind her and to the south, you can see 325 South Arlington Avenue and several other homes on both sides of the street.  Bruce Savage, a realtor who operated out of his office at 1005 North Arlington Avenue, eventually sold the home.  Note how much more yard these dwellings possessed before the city widened Arlington Avenue.  

 Family friend, Judy Hartley (345 South Arlington Avenue), holds Joyce McCleery (317 South Arlington Avenue) in 1955.  Behind the pair, are two small bungalows at 314 and 310 South Arlington Avenue.  

John Daniel Davis III, a friend to Wilda Lee McCleery, reads a comic book on the steps of 317 South Arlington Avenue in 1957.  You can also see 319 South Arlington Avenue.  

These interesting historic images are courtesy of Chuck McCleery.

Building Boom Along Ritter Avenue c1906

Grace Hackleman and her two daughters, Helen and Margaret, prepared to go for a walk along North Ritter Avenue most likely on a chilly day in 1906 or 1907.  Not only is the street about to be bricked, but across the street you can see the brand new home of Evington Davis at 41 North Ritter Avenue.  Mr. Davis and his family would dwell in the beautiful Dutch Colonial home for nearly twenty years. The Hacklemans lived in a recently-built American Four Square at 34 North Ritter Avenue.  The photographer, Charles Hackleman, faced north so you can also view 65 North Ritter Avenue and homes along Lowell Avenue.  This wonderful historic image is courtesy of the Larry Muncie Collection from the Irvington Historical Society.

The Hacklemans of 34 North Ritter Avenue go for a stroll c1906. The Davis home across the street at 41 North Ritter Avenue still stands today.  

Mirrored Dutch Colonial Homes Along Oak Avenue

Two interesting homes have graced Oak Avenue since 1920, but the origin of their design and site location still remains somewhat of a mystery in 2013.  The homes are mirrored plans.  In other words, if you pushed the houses together they could form a larger dwelling.  Furthermore, the original builder sited them at angle so that both structures faced a majestic oak tree. (still present in 2013)  Perhaps one clue to the unusual setting may be in the first occupant of 5733.  Walter T. Lents, a local architect, and his wife Clara lived in the home for nearly ten years.  Did Mr. Lents design the properties?  More research is still needed.  5729 sat vacant for two years after its construction.  Charles B. Davis, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Davis Coal Company on Ritter Avenue, was the first to call the twin structure home.  Tragedy struck the Lents family in 1930 when their only child, Mary, passed away.  The couple eventually resettled at 5247 Brookville Road.

By the 1940s and 1950s, Charles and Betty Vogt moved into 5733 and Edward and Madonna Hecker took up residence in 5729.  An examination of the historic photos of 5733 and contemporary images of the two houses reveal that both homes have been changed over the years.  5733 still hosts its original porch columns, but not the brackets along the lower roofline.  5729 does not appear to have the original porch columns, but does have the brackets.  A room has been added in the upper story of 5733 while 5729 still contains an original upper porch with lattice work.  5733 still has its clapboard siding visible, while 5729 is now sheathed in vinyl siding.  Both places no longer have the casement windows in the upper dormer.  Although the homes are in the Dutch Colonial Revival style, the dwellings also had front porches that remind one of a Japanese pergola.  The older photos, taken in the 1940s, certainly reveal what was popular in and on houses of the 1920s.

The Vogt Family dwelled at 5733 Oak Avenue throughout the 1940s and 1950s. This photo was taken in the winter of 1947.  

5733 Oak Avenue in the summer of 1947 or 1948.

New Bike!  Chuck Vogt received this beautiful new bike in 1947.  He would need it for his paper route delivery. (160 customers!) Behind the bike, you can see 5729 Oak Avenue.  The Heckers dwelled there in the late 1940s.  

5733 (left) and 5729 (right) Oak Avenue on March 30, 2013.

The top historic images show 5733 Oak Avenue in 1947 and 1948.  The third historic photo was taken of Chuck Vogt's first bike in 1947, but also shows a wonderful view of 5729 Oak Avenue.  The contemporary picture shows both homes on March 30, 2013. The historic images are courtesy of Chuck and Joyce Vogt.