A Young Couple Moved into a New House on Lowell Avenue in 1912

      On Wednesday evening, May 15, 1912, dozens of guests arrived at the Goe family home on South Ritter Avenue to witness the marriage of Theodore Kingsbury to Cornelia Goe. Their union brought together two very prominent Irvington families. Theodore was the seventh son of James G. Kingsbury, the publisher of the Indiana Farmer. Theodore hardly knew his biological mother as she died when he was two years old. His stepmother, Kate Gunckel Kingsbury, helped to raise him in homes on Lowell and Layman Avenues along with his stepsister, Edna Gunckel. At the time of his marriage, he worked for his father at the Indiana Farmer.

     Cornelia Goe was the daughter of Hezekiah and Cornelia Farnsworth Goe of 128 South Ritter Avenue. She had two brothers and two sisters. She graduated from Emmerich Manual High School and later attended Butler University. Her father earned a comfortable income running a popular grocery store in Moore's Hall at 130 South Audubon Road. Since her family attended the Irvington Methodist Church, the Reverend John Bickel officiated the wedding that night. We do not know if the couple went on a honeymoon, but we do know that on June 12, 1912, James G. Kingsbury hosted a dinner for the couple at his home at 71 North Ritter Avenue.

     Three days later, the newlyweds moved into a new house at 5515 Lowell Avenue. Theodore would have known the location of the house quite well as it was built in the backyard of a previous home belonging to his father at 98 Layman Avenue. William Babbitt took out a building permit in the spring of 1912 and erected the Dutch Colonial Revival residence for $1600. Babbitt used concrete blocks to clad the first floor and wood shake for the second floor. The elderly Kingsburys lived just around the corner at 71 North Ritter Avenue--also in a concrete-block home. 

     The Kingsburys lived here for five years before moving to Washington D.C. Cornelia appears to have adopted the Irvington Presbyterian Church and attended services with her husband's family. Various Presbyterian groups met at their home including the group seen below in the photographs. She was also very involved in a women's group called the Irvington Coterie Club. They met on Thursdays and newspaper accounts reveal that she hosted the ladies numerous times in this house. The club focused on historical topics as well as current events. Theodore spent much of his time during the warmer months on various golf courses. He was quite good at the sport and frequently made the sport pages for his low scores. 

     Within one year of moving into the residence, Theodore Kingsbury suffered the loss of his father in the spring 1913. The burden for operating the Indiana Farmer fell upon both he and his brother, James L. Kingsbury. Joy found a way into the home in 1915, with the birth of the couple's first child, Cornelia. If you are keeping track, that is the third Cornelia mentioned in this article. 

      In 1917, the Kingsburys relocated to the nation's capital where he found employment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They didn't stay there long, however, and by 1919, the couple found their way back to Irvington. 

Cornelia Goe Kingsbury sat on the steps of her new house at 5515 Lowell Avenue c1912 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Theodore Kingsbury sat on his porch at 5515 Lowell Avenue c1912. Behind him you can see the residences at 5506 and 5510 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Goe Kingsbury sat on the front porch at 5515 Lowell Avenue. If you look closely, you can see a horse in the alley next to the residence. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

A group from the Irvington Presbyterian Church met in the home of Theodore and Cornelia Kingsbury in either 1912 or early 1913. James G. Kingsbury was a founder of the church and considered an elder at this point in his life. Pictured: Front row left to right--James L. Kingsbury, Charlie Davis, Theodore Kingsbury, Cornelia Kingsbury (above Theodore), Reverend John S. Martin, Merrill Woods; Second Row--Grace Goe, Anna Kingsbury, James G. Kingsbury, Edna Boyle, Mary Martin, ?, Maude Martin Davis, ?, ?, Clara Goe; Top row--listed in order on photo although some names have been left off by the original documenter: Mrs. Martin, Gertrude Meisenhelder, Bonnie Major, ?, Mr. and Mrs. Layman?, Edith Schowe, Hermine Reller, and ? (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for their stories and photographs. I also wish to thank Alyssa Stewart and Steve Barnett for their help with research on this house. 

Sources:  Kingsbury-Goe wedding: "Kingsbury-Goe Wedding," Indianapolis News, May 16, 1912, p. 7; "Irvington," Indianapolis Star, June 16, 1912, p. 26; House construction: "Building Permits," Indianapolis News, May 21, 1912, p. 15; Irvington Coterie Club: "Affairs of Clubs," Indianapolis Star, May 20, 1014, p. 13; "Clubs," Indianapolis Star, December 12, 1915, p. 37; Irvington Presbyterian Church involvement: "News of Churches," Indianapolis Star, August 29, 1914, p. 3.

Ladies Gathered on Former Church Steps

      In 1909, the Presbyterians of Irvington worshipped in their newly-constructed brick church located at the intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues. The congregation eventually outgrew the structure and erected a Gothic-inspired building in 1928. Long before that, however, a group of smartly-dressed young women gathered on the steps for a group photo. We do not know the names of the young ladies, but the image came from the Shimer family. The shadow of the leafless tree on the church indicates that this might have been an Easter Day c1918. 

Young ladies posed on the steps of the Irvington Presbyterian Church c1918. (Courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Christmas in Irvington--1962

Nearly two inches of snow covered the rooftops and yards of Irvington homes on Christmas morning in 1962. For a little while during the day, the sun came out and folks like the Warner family at 66 Johnson Avenue grabbed their cameras and documented the gorgeous but cold day. The morning headlines in the Indianapolis Star mainly focused on Christmas, but there was a story about a prisoner swap with Cuba after the botched Bay of Pigs invasion. Icy road conditions troubled many travelers who had to get out on the highways on that day. At the intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues, in a beautiful American Four Square, the Warner family opened their gifts and prepared the Christmas meal. George Warner worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and later the Indiana Selective Service while his wife Louise stayed home and raised the couple's two children, Anne and Steve.
 
Photos from that day show both interior and exterior shots of the Warner home as well as Johnson and Julian Avenue scenes. Interior images reveal the beautiful china that Mrs. Warner set out for the meal and the real Christmas tree next to the fireplace. Historian Paul Diebold, who now lives in the house along with his wife Peggy, was thrilled to see the original leaded glass windows that were formerly located next to the fireplace.

Time travelers from 1962 would easily recognize many of the landmarks along both streets. At least one house is still painted the same color nearly 60 years later.

66 Johnson Avenue on Christmas Day, 1962: You can also see the residences north of the Warner home along Johnson Avenue and the bungalow west of the their house on Julian Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

Aiming for the sky: A member of the Warner family documented the snow in a nearby tree at 66 Johnson Avenue in 1962. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

Johnson Avenue on Christmas Day, 1962. In the photo, you can see the Maplewood Apartments that housed many Disciple of Christ missionaries north of the Irvington Presbyterian Church. Beyond the apartments, you can see both 33 and 27 Johnson Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

Mrs. Warner prepared a beautiful table for the Christmas meal. The candles were lit and the butter was on the table. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

Julian Avenue on Christmas Day, 1962: A member of the Warner family stood in their yard at 66 Johnson Avenue and aimed the camera east along Julian Avenue. The home most visible is that of 5603 Julian Avenue although many others on the south side of the street can also be seen. Off in the distance, you can see the rear of 108 South Audubon Road. The Irvington Presbyterian Church likely had either already held a service that day or would soon after the photo was snapped. Along the street, you will note the beautiful 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air parked nearby. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold)

The Christmas Tree at 66 Johnson Avenue in 1962: Note the leaded glass window that used be next to the fireplace. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold) 

Time for the gifts:  The Christmas tree in the Warner home at 66 Johnson Avenue in 1962. (Photo courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold) 

Photos and information about this post are courtesy of Steve Warner and Paul Diebold. 

Lost Irvington--28 South Audubon Road

Built for Thomas Carr Howe in 1901, this stunning home, formerly located at 28 South Audubon Road, was one of the most elegant in the neighborhood. In 1946, James and Patricia McWilliams purchased the residence from the Cassell family. Mr. McWilliams owned a Shell Gas Station at East 38th Street and Fall Creek Road. Mrs. McWilliams was busy at home with seven children and soon four more! The large dwelling was a perfect place to raise eleven children.

Jerry McWilliams, who grew up in the house, remembers many stunning architectural details about the place including the large porch, a widow's walk where he could see downtown, and gorgeous woodwork throughout. The home sat on an immense lot with two outbuildings so there was plenty of room for play. In 1963, James and Patricia McWilliams sold the house to the Irvington Presbyterian Church, who demolished the entire property in 1964 for a parking lot. Throughout the demolition, workers would place pocket doors and other architectural features along Audubon Road with price tags on the salvage.  It was a staggering loss for the neighborhood.

More stories and photos about this property will be posted so stay tuned.  The historic images and stories are courtesy of Jerry McWilliams.

28 South Audubon Road in 1946

Ellen McWilliams rides her tricycle in front of 28 South Audubon Road in 1953

Group shot of the McWilliams family in 1958:  Richard, Joe, Ken, Jerry (driving), Ellen, and Ed in the backyard of 28 South Audubon Road

The Ostranders Settle Along Audubon Road

In 1921, local Irvingtonian Joseph Ostrander married Guinevere Ham of Shirley, Indiana at the Irvington Presbyterian Church. The couple took up housekeeping at the Audubon Court Apartments. Mr. Ostrander worked as printer and publisher of the Marion County Mail along with another Irvington resident, Howard Caldwell, Sr. The business partners had been friends since their days at Butler University. Mr. Ostrander, a veteran of World War I, was one of millions of people who fell victim to the Great Influenza Epidemic sweeping the planet in 1918. He survived but his health was never good after that. He died in 1926. He left behind a wife and his six-month-old daughter, Nancy.

Mrs. Ostrander was the daughter of George Washington and Adelaide Titus Ham of Hancock County. The Hams operated a successful farm. Mr. Ham named many of his ten children after great literary characters or locales.  One of his sons, for instance, received the name Walter Scott while another was called Montezuma. When it came time to name their youngest daughter, Mr. Ham was determined that the child would be named George no matter whether it was a girl or boy. Mrs. Ham quietly ignored her husband's demand and placed "Georgia Guinevere Ham" on the birth certificate. She became known as "Gwin." 

After the death of her husband, Guinevere Ostrander and her infant daughter, Nancy, moved into the beautiful house at 323 North Audubon Road in 1927. She had purchased the home from the Newton family. Two years earlier, Mrs. Ostrander had received news from her brother, Thaddeus Cooper Ham, who resided on a coffee plantation in Cuba, that his wife had died. He asked Guinevere to raise their newly born child, Eva Ruth Ham. Baby Eva arrived in August of 1927 along with her Cuban nanny, Esperanza Rodriguez, to stay permanently at her Audubon Road address. Mrs. Ostrander’s mother, Adelaide Titus Ham, of Shirley, Indiana joined her daughter at the home shortly thereafter. Other people would also call upon Mrs. Ostrander’s generosity over the years and the house remained a lively and exciting place.

Guinevere Ostrander watched over Nancy Ostrander, her daughter, (left) and Eva Ruth Ham (right), her niece and adopted daughter. The photo was taken in 1929 in the living room at 323 North Audubon Road.  

Employees of the Marion County Mail gathered for this photograph c1919 in front of their office at 105 North Alabama Street. Pictured from left to right:  Joseph Ostrander, Paul Cornelius, Howard Caldwell, Sr., and Miss Peterson. 

Nancy Ostrander and her cousin, Eva Ham, were raised as sisters. This photo was likely taken in 1927.

Mother and Daughter: Guinevere Ham Ostrander posed with her daughter, Nancy in 1929.

323 North Audubon Road in the autumn of 2015.  

The historic images are courtesy of Nancy Ostrander.  

South Audubon Road Bungalow 1941 and 2015

On May 30, 1941, George and Barbara Long posed for this photo with their infant son, George, Jr. in front of their home at 346 South Audubon Road.  Mr. Long worked as a ruler for a ledger company. Mrs. Long taught Sunday school at the Irvington Presbyterian Church. She had been in an auto accident as a young woman and had suffered some paralysis so the couple needed a one story home. Thankfully, she regained the use of both of her arms and legs. The Longs lived in the modest bungalow for over fifty years.

Barbara and George Long posed with their son, George Jr. on May 30, 1941 in front of 346 South Audubon Road.

346 South Audubon Road in 2015

The historic image is courtesy of George William Long, IV.  

Neighborhood Scenes at the Intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues--1940s and 1950s

The sleepy intersection of Julian and Johnson Avenue comes alive each Sunday as members of the Irvington Presbyterian Church arrive for services.  The narrow and winding streets have hosted hundreds of residents over the years.  Johnson Avenue dead-ended into the Pennsylvania Railroad. By the mid-twentieth century, city officials deemed Julian Avenue a one-way street.  On warm summer nights, residents who opened their windows or slept out on second-floor sleeping porches could hear both the traffic along East Washington Street and the sounds of trains along the nearby rail line. The widow, Mary Pulver Stevenson, photographed friends and family who came to see her at 112 Johnson Avenue and as a result she also documented her surroundings. Color photographs, taken in the early 1950s show her beautiful backyard flower garden.

An unidentified woman stood in the side tree lawn of 5603 Julian Avenue c1943

Edward Lollis, the nephew of Mary Stevenson, stopped by for a visit c1952 in front of 112 Johnson Avenue in his 1948 Buick Roadmaster.  Behind him you can see the side of 5603 Julian Avenue and the Irvington Presbyterian Church. If you look closely you can his son Ted and his wife Georgia May Lollis in the car. 

Unidentified ladies stood in the yard of 112 Johnson Avenue. Behind them you can see the rear of 5543 Julian Avenue and the Irvington Presbyterian c1945.

Mary Pulver Stevenson posed for this photograph in her front yard at 112 Johnson Avenue. Behind her you can see the rear of 5543 Julian Avenue c1945.  

Boarder, Lois Omer, posed with homeowner, Mary Stevenson, in the backyard of 112 Johnson Avenue in 1953. Miss Omer worked nearby at the Missions Building on Downey Avenue. (Photographer Ted Lollis) 

Lois Omer stood in the backyard of 112 Johnson Avenue in 1953. Behind her, you can see the lovely flower garden and 104 Johnson Avenue which had been sheathed in Insulbrick by the mid-twentieth century. (Photographer Ted Lollis)

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

The Pulvers Move to Johnson Avenue

Edward and Ohio Snider Pulver decided to move to Irvington in 1923 to be near their only child, Mary Pulver Stevenson.  The Pulvers hailed from Piper City, Illinois and purchased a modest two-story home at 112 Johnson Avenue from Gustave Breuninger. Mr. Pulver, a retired Colonel,  had fought in the Third Calvary Regiment for the U.S. Government in the Indian Wars in Nebraska.  He was also an active Mason. The Pulvers were members of the Irvington Presbyterian Church and merely had to walk across the street to attend church each Sunday.  Mr. Pulver died in 1936 and Mrs. Pulver passed away in 1941.  Their daughter, Mary Pulver Stevenson a widow, moved into the Johnson Avenue home in 1941 and remained there for two decades.

Edward Pulver stood in the front yard of 112 Johnson Avenue c1925. Behind him, you can see the older Irvington Presbyterian Church that predated the current structure.  

Edward and Ohio Pulver relaxed in their living room at 112 Johnson Avenue c1925. The photo was most likely taken by their daughter, Mary Pulver Stevenson.  

112 Johnson Avenue in 2015

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.

Rare Photo of First Irvington Presbyterian Church c1917

Mary and Robert Stevenson moved into Irvington in 1915.  The couple had married in 1909 and first dwelled in Muncie before moving to 275 South Audubon Road.  Mrs. Stevenson, the photographer in the family, walked around her new neighborhood and snapped several shots.  A life-long Presbyterian, she meandered over to the intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues and took a photo of the Irvington Presbyterian Church around 1917. Later in her life she would dwell across the street at 112 Johnson Avenue.

Designed by local architect, Bennajah Weesner ( 5728 Rawles Avenue) and constructed by Louis Richardson ( 5506 University Avenue), the Presbyterians dedicated the church on January 10, 1909. Jonathan C. Day served as the first minister.  The board of trustees struggled in the beginning to pay for the new church, but as the neighborhood grew, residents like the Stevensons were invited to join and "subscribe."  Emily McAdams in her book Irvington Presbyterian Church 1906-1956 noted that membership expanded from 376 congregants in 1919 to 687 by 1927.  The Presbyterians eventually demolished the older and smaller 1909 structure for a grander edifice in 1928.

Mrs. Stevenson's photo likely dates to around 1917 or 1918 as the apartments located on Johnson Avenue can be seen in the photo. They were constructed in 1916 with the first residents moving into the new structures in the following year.

The First Irvington Presbyterian Church located at the intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues c1917

Source:  Emily McAdams, Irvington Presbyterian Church 1906-1956, (Indianapolis: 1956) The historic image is courtesy of Ted Lollis.

The Glore Family of Beechwood Avenue

James and Marjorie Glore moved into 5702 Beechwood Avenue in 1939 and the family would remain in the bungalow until 1986.  Jame Glore graduated from the Chicago Art Institute and worked as an illustrator for an insurance company and later for the Indiana University Medical Center. In fact, Mr. Glore was hired to start the Medical Illustration Department at the IU Medical Center. He would run that department for the next 34 years.  Mr. Glore's drawings were photographed and converted into slides and used by physicians in their lectures to future doctors and nurses.  Mrs. Glore stayed home and raised the couple's three children, Donald, Susan, and Kathryn. She was an active member of the Irvington Presbyterian Church and the Irvington Home Study Club.  The Glore children had many friends nearby and their backyard became a gathering spot for local kids.

James and Marjorie Glore posed with their three children, Donald, Susan, and Kathryn, in front of their home at 5702 Beechwood Avenue in 1949

Cute little Kathryn Glore posed atop the backyard fire place at 5702 Beechwood Avenue c1951  

The Glore family home at 5702 Beechwood Avenue in 1939

James Glore primarily worked as a medical illustrator, but he received other side jobs as well. In 1931, he designed the program for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!  

The historic images and stories are courtesy of Kathryn Glore Wright.  

Irvington Boy Scouts c1907

They gathered in a large room most likely in a commercial building along South Audubon Road or perhaps East Washington Street for a photo.  This scene, of Boy Scouts affiliated with the Irvington Presbyterian Church, appears to be quite disorganized. Some of the boys were looking into the camera while others were turned away. Two boys were wearing their scouting uniforms while most were dressed in typical early twentieth-century attire complete with breeches and long socks.  Some of the boys were laughing and smiling while others seemed to be quite pensive or distracted.  Sadly, we do not know the name of one young man. This photo serves as a cautionary tale for all to label photographs so that people in the future will know your name!

Irvington Presbyterian Church Scouts c1907

This image is courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  

The Plotner Family Arrives For Church--c1955

Mr. and Mrs Harold Plotner (5735 Beechwood Avenue) arrived for Sunday services at the Irvington Presbyterian Church sometime in 1955. Awaiting them, was photographer Reuben L. Brullow, who was taking photos for a future publication commemorating the history of the church.  The Plotners were active members of the congregation.  Harry Plotner worked at the International Harvester Company on Brookville Road as did many others in southern Irvington in the mid-twentieth century.  Local resident, Larry Muncie, who grew up near the Plotners remembered the family fondly.  Mr. Muncie noted that it was Mr. Plotner who asked him to help with recording church services on closed-circuit television.  Dr. Howard Stone was the minister at the time and during his tenure the church broadcasted services on Channel 8.

The American Four Square home visible in the photo behind the Plotners was that of 58 Johnson Avenue.  To see that house today, click on the link below.

The Plotner Family of 5735 Beechwood Avenue arrived for services at the Irvington Presbyterian Church c1955

The historic photo is courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  Information about the Plotners is courtesy of local historian, Larry Muncie.  

Stunning Historic Photos of Irvington Presbyterian Church--c1955

In the mid-twentieth century, photographer Reuben L. Brullow, photographed the interior of the Irvington Presbyterian Church for the sixtieth anniversary celebration.  Founded in 1906, Presbyterians built two separate structures along Johnson Avenue.  The second and more grand edifice arrived in 1928.  These shots, taken less than thirty years after the construction, provide a stunning view of the interior of one of the most important architectural sites in the neighborhood.  Architect Merritt Harrison designed an ornate structure that could have easily graced any city center in Europe.  Note the stunning wooden beams, the gorgeous windows, and beautiful lighting. Mr. Brullow was clearly an artist as well as these photos are still stunning nearly sixty years later.

Interior of the Irvington Presbyterian Church c1955

Interior of the Irvington Presbyterian Church c1955

The historic images are courtesy of Bill Ferling and Irvington Presbyterian Church.  

Color Photograph of Irvington Presbyterian Church--c1963

Fifty-one years ago in the early spring of 1963, a photographer took this wonderful shot of the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  The grass had just started to turn green and buds can be seen on the trees along Johnson Avenue. You can also get a look at part of the Arts and Crafts double that used to sit just east of the church along Julian Avenue.  The corner formerly hosted a U.S. postbox.  I wonder who owned those giant cars parked along Johnson Avenue?

Irvington Presbyterian Church c1963

The historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church. The color was restored by Larry Muncie.

Vacation Bible School--1955

The Irvington Presbyterian Church, like many Indianapolis churches, hosted Vacation Bible Schools throughout the second half of the twentieth century and beyond.  In these photos, most likely taken by Reuben L. Brullow in the summer of 1955, children from the neighborhood gathered for some summer fun.  In the top photo, a group of girls played some kind of game with a ball.  You will notice that nearly all of them were wearing dresses.  Behind the girls, you can not only see the church, but also Maplewood Court.

In the second photo, a group of boys played a game of baseball atop the asphalt parking lot.  You will note that some of the kids off to the side not only rested against one of the parked cars, but one young man actually placed his foot on it! (Kids!) In the extreme foreground of the photo, remnants of the curb and drive of Irving Court can be seen.  The Presbyterians had already purchased half of the court for a parking lot and would soon own all of it.

In the final image, the entire group gathered for a photo.  Look carefully as you might see your likely-now-retired grandparents among those fresh faces.  Behind the students, you can view the double that used to sit along Irving Court just east of the church.

These images are courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.

Church is Over--1955

In the summer of 1955, photographer Reuben L. Brullow (1616 North Bosart Avenue) set up his tripod and documented a typical day at the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  Some of his photos were to be used in a forthcoming history written to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the congregation. (1956)  In the top photo, adults chaperoned children to Sunday School along Johnson Avenue.  Through the trees and behind the church, you can see Maplewood Court.  Further down the block, you will note the American Four Square home at 27 Johnson Avenue and the rear of shops along East Washington Street. In the second photo, church members exit the building.  Some linger for conversation while others head for home. These historic images are courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.

Sunday School 1955 at the Irvington Presbyterian Church

Church is over--1955 at the Irvington Presbyterian Church

And the Beam Goes Up--1908

In this stunningly clear photograph, members of the newly organized Irvington Presbyterian Church gathered along Johnson Avenue to commemorate the erection of the first beams of a new edifice.  It was a cool day sometime during the winter of 1908.  The men wore their topcoats and the women donned their hats.  A member of the building committee, James L. Kingsbury (348 North Layman Avenue), addressed the audience. Behind him stood the Reverend Jonathan Day (5830 University Avenue).  Everything about this photograph was ephemeral.  All of the people are long gone; future congregants replaced this building with a larger church in 1928; and the home facing Audubon Road behind those gathered would be razed not long after image was snapped.  Perhaps the most we can hope for is that someone still has one of those wonderful feather hats sitting in an unopened trunk in the back of an attic.

Members of the Irvington Presbyterian Church Gather in 1908

The historic photograph is courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church. To see more images from this commemoration, click on the link below.

They Gathered at Winona Lake

Members of a youth group from the Irvington Presbyterian Church made the long drive up to Winona Lake, Indiana in the summer of 1925.  The camp site had long been home to various Christian groups including the Presbyterians, who operated a site along the lake beginning in 1913.  Although not every name is known in this photo, we do have some of them.  They read like a "whose who" of Irvington families.  Most of the youth in the photo range in age from 16 to 20.  S.B. McQuown has been identified as the photographer.

The Young Women (left to right)

Janet Carr--Miss Carr dwelled at 76 North Whittier Place. Her was father was a prominent dentist and her uncle was a well-known architect.  She would later marry Egbert Smith Hildreth and live her entire life in Irvington.  An active club woman, Mrs. Hildreth helped to save the Benton House in the 1960s.

We do not know the names of the next two young women.

The fourth girl in the photo was Mary Dove.  Little is known of her at this time although she might have been part of the Dove family who dwelled near East 10th Street and Arlington Avenue.

Next was Ethel Loomis, who dwelled at 341 North Bolton Avenue.  Mrs. Loomis helped to organize the trip and also served as a chaperone.

Mary Alice Epler, of 133 North Drexel Avenue is the sixth girl.  Her sister sat nearby.

We do not know the name of the next young woman.

Jeanette Epler, also of 133 North Drexel Avenue sat near her sister and just below the love her life, John McPheeters.  The two of them would eventually marry.  Tragically, Mr. McPheeters perished during World War II leaving a young widow back in their apartment at 46 South Ritter Avenue.  The famous photographer, Alfred  Eisenstaedt for Life magazine visited her in the fall of 1944 and photographed her for a story on the victims left behind from the war.  Her face in that photo, filled with anguish and sadness, looked far different than the gay young woman on an Indiana summer day in 1925.

We do not know the name of the next young woman.

Helen Brown (later Weigman) of 333 North Irvington was the eighth girl from the left.

Next to her sat, Elizabeth Mullin, who lived in a cottage at 203 South Ritter Avenue. Her father, Elmer Mullin, ran a business along Bonna Avenue.

At the end of the row, rested Mildred Campbell, who would later become a teacher at Shortridge High School.  She inspired thousands of city residents and her reputation as an outstanding educator still lives on in 2013.  A thorough person, she once helped to document the species of every tree in Ellenberger Park.  As a girl, she dwelled at 29 North Hawthorne Lane.

The Young Men (left to right)

Paul Lambert, at the far left, dwelled at 46 North Sheridan Avenue.

Next to him, stood Howard Dirks of 24 North Ritter Avenue.  The Dirks family ran one of the most popular grocery stores in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, we do not know the names of the next two young men.

John McPheeters, an Eagle Scout and future war hero, stood above his future wife, Jeanette Epler.  After his untimely death in battle, the military named some barracks for him at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was beloved by his troops.  As a youth, he lived at 52 North Audubon Road.

Dr. George William Allison, of 254 South Ritter Avenue, served as the minister for the Irvington Presbyterian Church from 1919 to 1930.  He would be responsible for overseeing the construction of the grand edifice that today sits at 55 Johnson Avenue.

The last young man at the far right was that of George Newton, who dwelled at 323 North Audubon Road.

This photograph is courtesy of Bill Ferling and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.