The Sohn Family of Downey Avenue

In 1905, eighteen-year-old Anton P. Sohn (1887-1961) slipped out of New Albany, Indiana with a $5 gold piece secretly given to him by his mother. He headed north on the Monon Line for Indianapolis where he started a new life. His first jobs were in various butcher shops. He found lodging above the stores at the corner of Washington Street and Ritter Avenue.  With a talent for business, he soon opened his first grocery store at 1744 Brookside Avenue. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, the entrepreneur opened and sold additional grocery stores, purchased the Manhattan Movie Theater on West Washington Street, and bought a Jackson County farm. His life was about to change, however, when he met and eventually married Ruth Fulton.

Ruth Fulton (1903-1986) grew up in Hindsboro, Illinois. A talented student, young Ruth loved to write poetry. Her family, even to this day, treasure her poems and travel journals. Upon her graduation from high school in 1921, she moved to Indianapolis where her brother William, a dentist in Irvington, was living. Two sisters, Helen and Mabel, also resided in the Indianapolis area. Upon moving to the city, Ruth applied for nursing training at the Protestant Deaconess Hospital at the corner of Ohio Street and Senate Avenue. She was accepted and worked as a nurse for the next eleven years.

Anton Sohn and Ruth Fulton married on February 1, 1933, at Mr. Sohn's bungalow at 378 South Downey Avenue. Mr. Sohn was able to purchase the house at the height of the Great Depression because his grocery store at 1035 Fletcher Avenue managed to turn a profit during the hard times. He paid $4000 for the house in 1931. Built in 1915, the dwelling had previously belonged to the Olsen family. Mr. Sohn told his son Bill years later that many homes in Irvington, especially those along South Ritter Avenue, could be found at a cheap price during the Depression. Mr. Sohn, a financially prudent man, resisted the temptation to buy other nearby properties.

The modest one-and-a-half-story residence would serve as the Sohn family home for over fifty years. The couple raised four children in the bungalow. Dr. Anton Sohn, a son of Anton and Ruth Sohn, in his family memoir, Straight and Narrow (1992) noted that the house:

     ...was about1,200 square feet and consisted of six rooms, not including the bath, pantry, and porches. Oak hardwood floors were throughout the house and the walls were papered. When Bill (his brother) and I were older, part of the upstairs was finished with a bedroom and a full bathroom.

 Dr. Sohn noted that the house had a:

     coal chute under the kitchen window, but it was sealed when a gas furnace was installed after the War. Before then, Dad would let the coal fire burn out during the night. In the morning, we lit the oven and congregated in the kitchen until the furnace heated the house. 

The family planted a victory garden during World War II. Mrs. Sohn had a green thumb and planted a variety of flowers including many scented species, which filled the house with wonderful smells. The children played with the neighboring kids along Downey and Ritter Avenues.  The kids grew up hearing the sounds of trains along the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the noise associated with the busy Irvington Ice and Coal Company on South Ritter Avenue.

In part two, you will learn more about the children and what it was like growing up along Downey Avenue in the 1930s and 40s.

Ruth Fulton Sohn's Wedding Announcement in 1933 (Courtesy of Indianapolis Star)

Anton Sohn, who lived at 378 South Downey Avenue, posed Bill, Annalouise, and Anton Sohn in 1938. (Image courtesy of Bill Sohn)

Anton Sohn pulls his siblings, Bill and Annalouise, in the side yard at 378 South Downey Avenue c1938. The Sohns were the children of Anton and Ruth Fulton Sohn. Behind them, you can see their neighbor's home at 384 South Downey Avenue. The Wickliff family resided in that bungalow at the time the photo was taken. (Image courtesy of Bill Sohn)

378 South Downey Avenue on June 11, 2019

Sources:  Interview with Bill Sohn May 30, 2019; Anton P. Sohn, The Straight and Narrow, (Reno, Nevada, 1992).  E-mail correspondence with both Bill and Anton Sohn. 

Scenes From a Bungalow on University Avenue--1930s

Jesse Earl and Esther Dickerson moved into 5946 University along with their four kids in 1933.  They remained until 1937.  Leland Dickerson, who dwelled in the house, reports that these were happy years for the family. Mr. Dickerson set up a chicken coup in the backyard and the kids were responsible for taking care of the birds.  They received ten cents for a dozen eggs, which they sold to neighbors.  On summer nights, the children slept on the front porch.  Mr. Dickerson purchased a large chunk of ice from the Irvington Ice and Coal Company and placed it in a tub.  He then set up an electrical fan to blow over the ice and on to the crew as they slept.

On school mornings, the Dickersons merely had to walk out the backdoor and cut across the yard to School #85.  Leland Dickerson enjoyed his time at the school although he reports that it was here he learned to fight.  Some of the young people from the Marion County Children's Guardian Home (5751 University Avenue) attended the school and they came from rougher backgrounds, so young Leland toughened up.  He recalled many of his teachers whom he loved and one that he did not.  "Old Lady" Gratz seemed to love the girls, but treated the boys harshly.  Of course, in fairness, it is very possible that Ms. Gratz had a difficult crew that year!

In the top image, Robert and Leland Dickerson stand on the front porch at 5946 University Avenue with their guitars in 1933.  Neither made a career out of music, but clearly their parents thought it was an important for them to be exposed to the arts.  In the second photo, Esther Dickerson posed with her daughter, Beverly, and dog Cindy in 1933.  In classic form, someone did not aim the camera correctly and they cut off the top of Mrs. Dickerson's head.  Cindy the dog was the star in another photo taken around 1935 and white king pigeons jumped out of the coup and up on top of the garage in 1933 in the final historic image.  Hopefully, someone managed to corral the birds back into their pen before an Irvington cat made a meal of them.

Robert and Leland Dickerson on the front porch of 5946 University Avenue in the summer of 1933

Esther and Beverly Dickerson with Cindy in the backyard of 5946 University Avenue in 1933

Beloved Cindy in the backyard of 5946 University Avenue in 1935

White King Pigeons on the garage of 5946 University Avenue in 1933

5946 University Avenue in 2014

The historic images and stories are courtesy of Leland Dickerson.

Irvington Ice & Coal Expands

Irvington Ice & Coal flourished in the neighborhood for decades.  Begun in 1914, the operation grew over the years at its location at 400 South Ritter Avenue.  While these images of the company may not fit the mold of the  neighborhood, largely known for its winding streets, tall trees, and stately homes, it was nonetheless, an important part of the community.  Behind the complex, and stretching towards Burgess Avenue, workers toiled in the coal piles.  As you can see from these photos, it was a fairly large operation.

The Swartz and Thompson families ran the business.  Over the years, numerous men and a few women worked with the company. Below, you will see a photo of Mr. Rumpler, the debt collector, and one of Ralph McClure, who worked in the coal plies.

By the 1940s, the company had added onto the already large structure located along Ritter Avenue next  to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  They also updated their fleet of vehicles.

Many Irvingtonians stayed warm in the winter thanks to this company and kept their food cool in their ice boxes during the warmer months.  As refrigeration became common, and citizens turned to natural gas, coal and ice companies like this one had to diversify or close shop.  Irvington Ice & Coal was eventually bought out by an oil company in the 1970s and shut down.  Today, several of the structures on the site still exist and a ghost sign still adorns at least one building.

These historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  You may also see additional views of this business by visiting the Irvington Historical Society located in the Bona Thompson Library.  

The Fleet of Irvington Ice & Coal--1920s

With numerous employees working several shifts, Irvington Ice & Coal (400 South Ritter Avenue) flourished as a profitable business for years.  The company provided both ice and coal to the neighborhood and all over the city Indianapolis.  In these historic photos, Leonard Swartz, the General Manager of the company in the 1920s, poses next to one of his vehicles that hauled ice.  Note the refrigerator on the back of the car!  Families would place a card (usually at the side or back door) in the window announcing the size of the ice chunk they would need for the next few days.  A very strong man would then throw a towel (usually) over his shoulder and carry the large piece of ice into the kitchen and place it in the ice box.  In the bottom photo, you can see just how many vehicles were needed to haul around all of that ice and coal!  The historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.

You may learn more about the Irvington Ice & Coal Company by clicking on the link below or by visiting the Irvington Historical Society located in the Bona Thompson Memorial Library.

Coal Delivery in Irvington--1926

Rodney Thompson prepares to haul coal to his customers in 1926.  Notice that animal power was still used locally although Irvington Ice & Coal also had trucks by this time.  Mr. Thompson is standing across the street from the plant in the 400 block of South Ritter Avenue.  Behind him, you can see a small nineteenth-century cottage.  Mr. Thompson eventually worked his way up to becoming the General Manager of the company.  Irvington Ice & Coal operated in the neighborhood from 1914 until the early 1970s.  This historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  A contemporary shot, taken on June 10, 2012, shows the top photo today.  If you look towards the rear of the current structure, I believe you can see the gable of the original home.  Perhaps, this is wishful thinking on my part.

You may learn more about Irvington Ice & Coal by clicking on the link below.  The Irvington Historical Society, located at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library, also has an extensive photo collection and information about this local landmark.

Irvington Ice and Coal--1920s

Irvington Ice and Coal opened in 1914.  For years it was run by both the Swartz and Thompson families.  A sprawling complex, located at 400 South Ritter Avenue and next to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the company operated in Irvington for decades.  Employing dozens of workers, the business serviced the entire east side of Indianapolis and beyond.  Coal was the chief heating source for most Indianapolis homes by the the 1920s so the business was booming.  Both animal and automobile power hauled the products around the city.

In these three historic photos, taken in the 1920s, you can see how large of an operation it was along South Ritter.  The contemporary images show the structure as it is on June 10, 2012.  The historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  More photos will be forthcoming of this important Irvington commercial enterprise.

Irvington Ice & Coal

Located at 412 South Ritter Avenue next to the Baltimore and Ohio RR, Irvington Ice and Coal served the neighborhood for years. Most homes had a coal bin in the basement for heating their homes and had the coal delivered. As iceboxes became popular, Irvington residents placed a placard in the window as to how much ice they needed that week. Pictured is a coupon book used by an Irvington resident. I have also included a photo of my ice box. The ice would be placed behind the large door on the left. Vegetables and fruits would go on the right while milks and cremes would be placed just below the block of ice. Water would drain into a pan below the box and have to be emptied as the ice melted.