Goe Family Photos Show Neighboring Houses on South Ritter Avenue

      Often, when searching for historic photos of a house, we try to find descendants of various homeowners, but sometimes you can also find wonderful images from those who lived nearby or across the street. The Goe family, who lived at 128 South Ritter Avenue from 1890 until 1957, snapped images of various family members or friends on their property. Behind the subjects, we can see several homes along South Ritter Avenue. 

107, 111, 115, 127, 129, and 131-33 South Ritter Avenue

Marjorie Tretton visited the Goe family c1930. Behind her, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Farnsworth Goe posed in her front yard c1935. Behind her, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Grace Goe posed on a snowy day c1930. Behind her you can see 127, 129, and part of the double located at 131-33 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard and Cornelia Kingsbury, the grandchildren of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe, posed on a snowy day in the front yard of the Goe residence at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1928. Behind the kids, you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard and Cornelia Kingsbury posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1935. Behind the siblings you can see 127 and 129 South Ritter Avenue. If you look closely, you can also see the rear of 120 South Johnson Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Kingsbury posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1935. Behind her, you can see the homes located at 107, 111, and 115 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Kingsbury posed on a snowy day c1930. You can see the neighbor's house at 130 South Ritter Avenue along with the homes across the street located at 129, 131, and 133-35 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Hezekiah and Cornelia Farnsworth Goe posed next to their home at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1911. Behind the couple, you can see 127, 129, and 131 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

106, 108, and 114 South Ritter Avenue

Hezekiah Goe stood in profile in front of his house at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1905. Behind him you can see the residence located at 106 South Ritter Avenue. You will note that 108 and 114 South Ritter Avenue had not yet been built. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Three girls posed in the front yard of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1926. Behind the kids you can see the facades of 108 and 114 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Theodore Kingsbury (center) spoke with his children, Richard (left) and Cornelia (right) c1926 in front of the Goe home at 128 South Ritter Avenue. Behind the family, you can see 114 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

          I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for their kindness in loaning me these incredible images. I also wish to thank the entire Kingsbury family for their stories and generosity with this series of photos. It has been a pleasure working with all of them.  

The Goes of South Ritter Avenue

      Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe arrived in Irvington in 1884. He was 47 and she was 36. They left their comfortable home and business in Indianapolis for a new chapter in the small town located in eastern Marion County. Few people lived in Irvington when they arrived, but Butler University had been in the community for nine years so the Goes speculated that the area was ripe for a new grocery store. Their gamble paid off. After renting a home for a few years, they moved into their own home designed by Louis Gibson at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1890. They had five children who lived into adulthood and three of them lived in Irvington for most of their lives. In this post, you will get the opportunity to meet some of the earliest residents of Irvington.

Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe posed for this photograph in 1911. Behind the couple, you can see their neighboring houses at 127, 129, and 128 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Hezekiah Noble Goe (1837-1919)

     Hezekiah Goe hailed from Madison County, Indiana and married a local woman named Winifred A. Mauzy in 1864. They lived in Indianapolis as Mr. Goe started his various jobs as a clerk. Tragedy struck within one year as both his wife and newborn baby died in 1865. At some point, he met Margaretta "Cornelia" Farnsworth. They married in 1872 and started a family and a life together. 

     Besides running the family grocery store at 130 South Audubon Road, he also managed at least one rental property. In 1891, the Goes built a second home just south of the Pennsylvania Railroad at 220 South Ritter Avenue as an investment. An ad in the Indianapolis News on November 7, 1898, promoted an eight-room cottage for $15 a month. The house was within easy walking distance of their own home nearby. 

     We know from family records that Mr. Goe was active in the Methodist Church and that he loved to garden. Family photographs reveal that besides growing fruit and vegetables, he also raised chickens. The house had a large barn for his horses and later his automobiles. 

     He lived to be 82 years old. At his funeral, Professor Allen R. Benton, read the eulogy composed by Cornelia Goe, his wife of 47 years. 

     He loved the out-of-doors, the flowers, plant life, the work in his garden. Watching the growth of his planting was a source of great pleasure to him. He enjoyed sharing the results of his work with friends and neighbors, and possessed a fund of information which was often sought from him. So he was happy in his nature, liking people, and possessing a forgiving spirit. He did not cherish resentment. Sabbath, the last day of his life, he was very happy with his family, reading and enjoying his home in all that it afforded...When the even-tide came, a messenger hovered near--that unseen power called "death," the reaper, which spares neither young nor old, claimed its victim, after four brief hours...

Hezekiah Goe on December 12, 1912 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

One of the final photographs taken of Hezekiah Goe was snapped in 1919. Behind him, you can see a neighbor's home located at 5427 Julian Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

  Margaretta "Cornelia" Farnsworth Goe (1848-1940)

     In an age when most women in Indiana could only dream of a college education, Cornelia Farnsworth of Liberty, Indiana received her diploma from the Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio in 1869. Education remained the hallmark of her life. Newspaper articles reveal that after she married Hezekiah Goe in 1872 she joined numerous clubs for women. In Irvington she belonged to dozens of organizations and frequently hosted book talks, discussions, and lectures. 

     Her crowning professional achievement came when she served on the Irvington School Board in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The State of Indiana allowed women to serve on school boards after 1881, but few did. In fact, she became one of the earliest females to serve on a school board in the state. Many women believed that capable public servants like Cornelia Goe demonstrated to the public that women could hold office and deserved the right to vote in elections. It took a while for the men to catch on, but Cornelia Goe likely cast her first vote in 1920 at the age of 72. 

      She helped to raise her five children into adulthood. All of them received coursework or degrees past high school. She loved to travel and the society pages noted her excursions throughout the United States and to Europe. She lived a long life. Sadly, she had to endure the deaths of her beloved husband and three of her adult children. 

Margaretta "Cornelia" Farnsworth Goe in her later years. She was a pioneer female public servant serving on the Irvington School Board in the late nineteenth century. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Farnsworth Goe posed with her daughter Cornelia Goe Kingsbury on May 30, 1920. After her daughter's death in 1923, Mrs. Goe helped to raise her grandchildren. Behind the women, you can see the rear of 128 South Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

The Goe Children

Clara Mae Goe (1872-1958)

     Clara Goe, the oldest child of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe graduated from Butler University and became an elementary teacher in a variety of Indianapolis Public Schools before landing at #57 in 1909. Upon her graduation from Butler, she presented a recommendation note from her French professor, Hugh L. Miller, and the former president of the college, Allen R. Benton. How do we know this? The Irvington Historical Society possesses the letters. We also have one of her early teaching contracts. Like her mother, Clara immersed herself in local Irvington clubs. She remained at the Ritter Avenue house for decades taking care of her elderly mother and along with her sister, Grace, raised her niece and nephew. To hundreds of former students she was simply known as Miss Goe.  She lived to be 85 years old.

Clara Goe posed for this photograph sometime in the late nineteenth century. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Hugh Miller wrote his letter of recommendation first on May 19, 1897. Allen R. Benton added his on to the same page on November 11, 1898. (courtesy of the Estate of Theodore Kingsbury, Irvington Historical Society)

Clara Goe earned $925 for the year in 1917-1919 as a teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools (courtesy of the Estate of Theodore Kingsbury, Irvington Historical Society)

Edwin "Herbert" Goe (1876-1903)

     Herbert Goe, the second child and first son of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe, was a talented athlete and student who attended Butler University. While at Butler, he joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After graduating, he started his career working for power companies in New York, Wisconsin, and finally Michigan. While working for Consolidated Lake Superior Power Company in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, he had an attack of appendicitis. Hezekiah Goe rushed to northern Michigan to be near his son. Herbert immediately wrote the saddest letter a parent could receive. He posted the letter on January 15, 1903. With his father at his side, he penned:

     My Dear Mother.

     This may be my last letter to you. The doctors say so. I want to tell you for all dear mother how I love you with all the fervor of a son. I am so weak. I want to write more. Oh, if you and the children had come up with dear father.

     Don't give up hope, Mother. I am trusting in God. Love Love Love to brothers and sisters--

    Your Dying Son,

     Herbert

The poignant note is still possessed by family members. Herbert Goe, who was only 27 years old, died shortly after writing his mother. As a testimonial to his popularity, 200 power company employees escorted the casket to the train station for the long ride back to Indianapolis. One can only imagine the grief back on Ritter Avenue over the loss of Herbert. 

Herbert Goe shortly before his untimely death in 1903. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Grace Goe (1880-1968)

     Grace Goe was a career woman who followed her mother's footsteps and attended Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio. Upon returning, she worked for a variety of companies as a stenographer. Her longest employment occurred at the Washington Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. She served as stenographer for that organization from 1928 until 1958. She, along with her sister, Clara, lived at 128 South Ritter Avenue for most of their lives. She and Clara cared for their elderly parents and later helped to raise their niece and nephew. She outlived all of her siblings. 

Grace Goe attended Western College for Women like her mother. The photo above is attributed as her dorm room c1896. (Kingsbury family collection)

Grace Goe worked as a stenographer for most of her life. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

   

Grace Goe worked as stenographer for a variety of companies. She can be seen in the white dress in this photograph c1910. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

     

Percy F. Goe (1888-1921)

     Percy Goe was the first child of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe to be born in Irvington. He attended local schools as well as Butler University where he followed his older brother's footsteps and pledged the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He served his country during World War I, and later worked for several years for National Cash Register in Dayton, Ohio. At a turning point in his life, he decided to switch careers and become an income tax inspector, but that goal was cut short when his tuberculosis returned with a vengeance. Like his brother, he died at an early age likely devastating his poor Mother and sisters. 

Percy and Cornelia Goe, c1894; Both siblings contracted tuberculosis at an early age and succumbed in their early adulthoods. (photo of the Kingsbury family)

Butler University friends, Percy Goe, Harry Browning, Mark Houser, and Theodore Kingsbury posed for this photo c1910. Percy Goe's sister, Cornelia, married Theodore Kingsbury in 1912. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Percy Goe c1915 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Cornelia Goe Kingsbury (1890-1923)

     Cornelia Goe Kingsbury lived much of her life in Irvington. She was the only child of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe to marry and to have children. She graduated from Emmerich Manual Training High School and Butler University where she pledged as a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Her marriage to Theodore Kingsbury in 1912 united two prominent Irvington families. The Kingsburys briefly lived in Washington D.C., but they returned to Irvington after the death of Hezekiah Goe presumably to be nearer to her family.  She bore two children, Cornelia and Richard, before dying of tuberculosis in 1923 at the age of 33. Her death greatly affected the trajectory of her young family. Her absence weighed upon her husband Theodore, who had to travel for his job as the state geologist. To help him, the Goes stepped up and invited the Kingsbury children to live at their home on Ritter Avenue for extended periods of time. 

Cornelia Goe (left) with her friend, Mayme Potter c1902 in the front yard at 128 South Ritter Avenue (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family) 

Hezekiah Goe posed with his daughter, Cornelia, next to the family home at 128 South Ritter Avenue in 1911. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

The Goe family home at 128 South Ritter Avenue c1920 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer and the extended Kingsbury family for their stories and photos about the Goe family. 

Sources:  Hezekiah Goe--Eulogy by Cornelia Goe read at his funeral by Allen R. Benton, September 3, 1919 (possessed by the Kingsbury family); "H.N. Goe, City Grocer Forty Years, is Dead," Indianapolis News, September 1, 1919, p. 7. Rental house construction--"Irvington," Indianapolis Journal, September 18, 1891, p. 6

Cornelia Farnsworth Goe--"Mrs. Goe Rites Wednesday," Indianapolis News, April 29, 1940, p. 12; Western Alumni News--"Personal and Society," Indianapolis Journal, July 3, 1887, p. 5; Irvington School Board--"Irvington," Indianapolis News, September 10, 1891, p. 6  "Women for School Officers," Indianapolis Journal, December 28, 1892, p. 6; Travels--"Irvington Items," Indianapolis Journal, August 4, 1895, p. 11 (European travel)--"Personal and Social," Indianapolis News, April 30, 1897, p. 9

Children--Clara--"Clara Goe, Ex-Teacher, Dies," Indianapolis News, May 30, 1958, p. 18; Edwin Herbert Goe--"Funeral Notice," Indianapolis News, February 12, 1903, p. 8; Letter from Herbert to his mother, January 15, 1903, (Kingsbury family archives); Grace Goe--"Miss Grace Goe Rites Tomorrow," Indianapolis News, August 16, 1968, p. 36; Percy Goe--"Funeral to be Wednesday," Indianapolis News, May 10, 1921, p.15; Cornelia Goe Kingsbury--"Mrs. Cornelia Kingsbury," Indianapolis Star, October 24, 1923, p. 7.

Family Moved Into an East Washington Street Cottage in the 1920s

      In the summer of 1905, John Woodward purchased a lot in Irvington and erected a pretty cottage at 5858 East Washington Street. William W. Fellows was the first resident of the house. He operated a feed store at 201 South Audubon Road. A variety of other people leased the home throughout the 1910s. At some point during that decade James L. Kingsbury purchased the house. While the details are not yet known, we know that he sold the house to his youngest brother Theodore Kingsbury in 1919. 

     Theodore and Cornelia Kingsbury and their daughter, Cornelia, had been living in Washington D.C. due to Mr. Kingsbury's job with the Department of Agriculture. They had only been there about two years when they decided to return to Irvington. Part of that decision might have been the fact that Mrs. Kingsbury's father, Hezekiah Goe, died that year. Perhaps she wanted to be nearer to her mother and siblings. In fact, the family did not move into their Washington Street home right away, likely to give the tenants a chance to find another residence. A census enumerator visited the Goe family home at 128 South Ritter on January 8, 1920, and noted that 33-year-old Theodore Kingsbury and 28-year-old Cornelia Goe Kingsbury along with four-year-old daughter, Cornelia Kingsbury, lived with 71-year-old Cornelia Farnsworth Goe, the matriarch of the Goe family. Also living in that large home included Cornelia Kingsbury's sisters, 47-year-old Clara Goe, a teacher, and 38-year-old Grace Goe, a stenographer. 

     By the end of 1920, Theodore and Cornelia Kingbsury moved into their home on East Washington Street. The following year, the state of Indiana hired Mr. Kingsbury as a gas inspector and supervisor. He traveled the state of Indiana ensuring that gas and oil wells were properly plugged. Later, he became the State Geologist. Their return from Washington D.C. seemed to be working out and then tragedy struck. 

     1923 started out as a normal and joyful year for the young Kingsbury family. Mr. Kingsbury kept busy with his job and on the golf course. Mrs. Kingsbury remained active with the Irvington Coterie Club where she presented papers and helped to host. Joy entered the house when the couple welcomed their second child, Richard Kingsbury, on May 4, 1923. Neighbors might have noticed that Dr. John K. Kingsbury, a cousin to Theodore, had been visiting the house cottage often as Mrs. Kingsbury had been afflicted by tuberculosis for most of her life. She seemed to really struggle after the birth of her son and died five months later on October 23, 1923 at the age of 33. 

     Theodore Kingsbury was now faced with the task of raising two small children on his own. He briefly married, but that union ended in divorce. The 1930 Federal Census indicated that young Cornelia and Richard moved back in with the Goe family at 128 South Ritter Avenue for several years while Theodore traveled the state and the Midwest as a geologist.

     The Kingsbury era of the home ended in 1931 with the arrival of the Ihrig family. 

Little Richard Kingsbury rode his tricycle in front of his house at 5858 East Washington Street c1925. Behind him you can see the neighboring houses at 5864 and 5868 East Washington Street. A man can be seen with a ladder at the home of Mrs. Hattie Mills, a widow, who lived at 5864 East Washington Street. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard "Dick" Kingsbury posed in front of his house at 5858 East Washington Street c1928 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard Kingsbury (front) posed with sister, Cornelia Kingsbury and three unidentified boys at 5858 East Washington Street c1928 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

5858 East Washington Street in 2025 (photo courtesy of Molly Zentz)

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer. They have been so generous with their time and stories about the Kingsbury family. I also wish to thank Steve Barnett and Molly Zentz for their help with this post. 

Sources: Construction of House: "Realty Transfers," Indianapolis Star, June 3, 1905, p. 9; "Building Permits," Indianapolis Star, August 8, 1905, p. 12; "Realty Transfers," Indianapolis Star, September 12, 1905, p. 12; Jones Family--Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1907-1910; Theodore Kingsbury purchase of home--"Realty Transfers," Indianapolis News, October 20, 1919, p. 5; Life in the house--"Ex-Editor Named State Gas Supervisor," Indiana Daily Times, August 5, 1921, p. 1; "Club Calendar," January 21, 1923, p. 41; Death of Cornelia Kingsbury--"Mrs. Kingsbury Dead," Indianapolis News, October 24, 1923, p. 3. Mrs. Kingsbury's death record was signed by Dr. John K. Kingsbury. He also noted that she had been living with tuberculosis for 28 years. 

Editor's Note: 5858 East Washington Street was known as 5832 East Washington Street from 1905 until 1910. 

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.

Phi Delta Theta--First Fraternity House Built in Irvington

      Theodore Kingsbury, the youngest son of James G. Kingsbury, graduated from the Winona Agricultural Institute in 1907. One year later, he enrolled at Butler University in Irvington where he played football. He also seems to have been involved with Phi Delta Theta Fraternity along with his nephew, Layman Kingsbury. His association with the fraternity came at an important time for the organization as the men had just built their first chapter house near the campus on the northwestern corner of Emerson Avenue and East Washington Street. 

     Architect, Frank B. Hunter, designed the two-story residence as a bungalow in the spring of 1908. On the first floor he placed the chapter hall and study room. He located the dining room and kitchen in the basement, and he situated the sleeping rooms on the third floor. Lt. Governor Hugh T. Miller, a legacy of the fraternity, helped to dedicate the new house on November 19, 1908. The structure cost $3500 and was the first fraternity house ever built in the neighborhood. Other fraternities generally rented existing homes. 

     With the arrival of the new Pleasant Run Parkway, the fraternity relocated west of the stream at 5020 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1915. The site of the former home became a small park dedicated to the memory of Hilton U. Brown, Jr., who died in World War One. To see many more photos of the Phi Delta Theta home, including interior shots, click on the "Phi Delta Theta" link below. 

The Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House, c1908 used to be located on the northwestern corner of Emerson Avenue and East Washington Street.  It was moved in 1915 to its current location on the northwestern corner of Pleasant Run Parkway and East Washington Street. The home barely visible in the background belonged to cartoonist, Kin Hubbard, who lived at 5070 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Frank B. Hunter designed the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House in 1908. (Indianapolis Star, May 2, 1908, p. 4)

Up Next: A Young Couple Moved to Lowell Avenue in 1912     

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for the use of the Kingsbury family photo collection. 

Sources:  Construction and design of house: "Building Permit," Indianapolis News, April 17, 1908, p. 20; "Butler Phi Delta Theta House Now Under Construction," Indianapolis News, May 2, 1908, p. 4; "Phi Delta Theta House," Indianapolis News, November 20, 1908, p. 7; Moving of house: "Building Permits," Indianapolis Star, August 24, 1915, p. 12. 

A Concrete-Block House in Irvington

      Friends and family were likely surprised to learn that 76-year-old James G. Kingsbury and 68-year-old Kate Kingsbury decided to move from their Layman Avenue home into a new residence at 71 North Ritter Avenue in 1907. They were not just moving into any home, but one that had been clad in concrete blocks. Local businesses mass produced concrete blocks for construction lowering the costs for such a residence. Another nearby home at 65 North Ritter Avenue also had a first story built of concrete block. Mr. Kingsbury's scrapbook noted that his home was the first concrete block house in the neighborhood. While he took out a building permit for the residence in 1905, the family did not move in right away. 

     James G. Kingsbury still served as the publisher of the Indiana Farmer although his sons, James L. and Theodore, took on more responsibility for the publication.  Only his young son, Theodore, still lived at home. On November 17, 1907, all seven of Mr. Kingsbury's sons gathered at the new house to celebrate Theodore's 21st birthday. Sadness, however, soon gripped the family as Kate Kingsbury, the third wife of James G. Kingsbury, faced a dire cancer diagnosis. She penned a column in the Indiana Farmer called "Aunt Kate" where she discussed domestic issues. In her final column, she wrote:

          For over a year I have been an invalid, and during that time there has not been a day that I have not had reason to thank God for neighbors. Fruits, flowers, and dainties, have been almost daily offerings. And how good things taste that come to you unexpectedly...And flowers! From the time of the early spring crocuses awaken from their wintry slumbers, until the frosts cut short the chrysanthemum blooms, I have not been a day without flowers...

     Mrs. Kingsbury died on April 1, 1908, leaving James G. Kingsbury a widower for a third time. Mr. Kingsbury continued to go to his office at the Indiana Farmer. On January 18, 1910, his family held a surprise birthday party for him after he returned from work. An Indianapolis News article noted that the entire house at 71 North Ritter Avenue was illuminated to celebrate his 78th birthday. A few weeks later, he surprised his friends and family by announcing that he had taken out a marriage license to wed a 62-year-old widow named Anna Risk. On February 10, 1910, the couple gathered at the Somerset Apartments to be married by the Reverend Frank O. Ballard of the Memorial Presbyterian Church. Only a few witnessed the moment, and then the couple honeymooned in Washington D.C. and New York City before returning to their Ritter Avenue home. 

     At some point before 3:30 AM on the morning of May 5, 1910, Mr. Kingsbury went to the window of his second-story bedroom on Ritter Avenue and looked to the east. There in the quiet of the night, he witnessed Halley's Comet racing over Irvington. Ever the journalist, he recorded the moment and the Indianapolis News reported that he was the first in the city to see the comet. 

     Mr. Kingsbury's death on June 11, 1913, was widely reported around the state of Indiana. His efforts to write about Hoosier agriculture had been impactful. He left behind his fourth wife, seven sons, one step daughter, and numerous grandchildren. Some of those descendants have been very generous with their time, stories, and photographs. I am very grateful to them. 

Up Next:  A Butler Fraternity House on Pleasant Run Parkway

      

"The First Concrete Block House in Irvington," as reported from the scrapbook belonging to the Kingsbury family, c1907. The photo is also important because it shows the side of 75 North Ritter Avenue, a house destroyed by fire in 1920. A double later replaced that home.  (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

This c1913 photo in front of 71 North Ritter Avenue is remarkable as it shows a very young John K. Kingsbury (seated and holding a hat). He later became a beloved local doctor and a witness in the infamous trial involving D.C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, and murderer of Madge Oberholtzer. His testimony helped to convict the man. Seated (left to right) James G. Kingsbury, John K. Kingsbury, Anna Risk Kingsbury, Kate Kingsbury holding Frank Kingsbury, and Charles Kingsbury; Standing (left to right): Florine Kingsbury, Hannah Kingsbury, Pearl Kingsbury, Edna Gunckel, Cornelia Goe Kingsbury, Nathan Howard Kingsbury, Theodore Kingsbury, Franklin Kingsbury (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Nathan Howard ("Punk") Kingsbury, James G. Kingsbury, and Theodore Kingsbury after a big snowstorm at 71 North Ritter Avenue c1910. You can also see the south side of the Clancy home at 75 North Ritter Avenue. That home burned in 1920. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Charles Kingsbury, Kate Kingsbury, Hannah Kingsbury, and Nathan Howard Kingsbury c1910 on the steps of 71 North Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Theodore Kingsbury, Sylvia Ewan (Lil), and the Marsh sisters standing at the rear of 71 North Ritter Avenue c1910 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Edna Gunckel was the daughter of Kate Gunckel Kingsbury, the third wife of James G. Kingsbury. Letters in the Kingsbury family collection reveal that she remained close to the family for years. This photo was likely snapped c1910 in front of 71 North Ritter Avenue. After Mr. Kingsbury died in 1913, he left his stepdaughter some of his money. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Always the farmer, Mr. Kingsbury worked in the backyard of his home at 71 North Ritter Avenue c1910. Behind him you can see the rear of 76 and 98 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Theodore Kingsbury and Sylvia Ewan c1910 behind 71 North Ritter Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

71 North Ritter Avenue after a snowstorm c1910 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

71 North Ritter Avenue on July 16, 2025

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for their wonderful help with this article. I also wish to thank Marion County historian, Steve Barnett, who helped me pin down a date on the house. 

Sources:  The 1910 Federal Census; Polks's Indianapolis City Directories, 1906-1914; Birthday party for Theodore Kingsbury: Indianapolis News, November 18, 1907, p. 7; Obituaries for Kate Kingsbury: "Mrs. Kingsbury Dead," Indianapolis News, April 2, 1908, p. 7; "Death of Mrs. Kingsbury," Indiana Farmer, April 11, 1908, p. 10;  J.G. Kingsbury Surprise Birthday Party: "Birthday-Anniversary," Indianapolis News, January 19, 1910, p. 7; J.G. Kingsbury and Halley's Comet: "Arise Early, Look East And You Will See It," Indianapolis News, May 5,1910, p. 1; J.G. Kingsbury to Anna Risk: "Will Marry Fourth Wife," Indianapolis Star, February 10, 1910, p. 1; "Society," Indianapolis News, February 10, 1910, p. 7; Obituary for James G. Kingsbury: "James G. Kingsbury, of Indiana Farmer, Dead," Indianapolis News, June 12, 1913, p. 7. James G. Kingsbury's Will:  "Kingsbury Will Probated," Indianapolis Star, July 8, 1913, p. 3. 

Layman and Lowell Avenues in the Early 20th Century

     Between 1903 and 1907, James G. and Kate Kingsbury resided in the two-story home located at 98 North Layman Avenue. Almost as soon as he moved in, Mr. Kingsbury took out a building permit for an addition on to the home in the autumn of 1903. He also applied for a building permit in the following year to repair a barn on the property. 

     The Kingsburys were not the first to reside in the house. The Hannas lived at 98 North Layman in the late 1890s and the Williams family resided in the house in the early 1900s. Thomas Hanna (1841-1901) had been the Lt. Governor for the state of Indiana from 1881-1885. 

     For reasons unknown, 74-year-old James G. Kingsbury and 67-year-old Kate Kingsbury moved to a new house located nearby at 71 North Ritter Avenue. Photos from the Kingsbury family show the homes that existed at the intersection of Lowell and Layman Avenues between 1903 and 1915. 

James G. Kingsbury posed with his son, Theodore Kingsbury, at 98 North Layman Avenue c1903 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

James G. Kingsbury posed in front of his home at 98 N. Layman Avenue c1903. Behind him, you will note that no houses had yet been built on the south side of the 5600 block of Lowell Avenue. If you look closely, you can see the side of 5716 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Friends and family of the Kingsburys gathered in the dining room of their home at 98 North Layman Avenue c1903. Seated (left to right): Kate Gunckel Kingsbury, James G. Kingsbury, Hannah Rodney Kingsbury (holding a cat); Standing (left to right): Edna Gunckel, Nathan Howard ("Punk") Kingsbury, Annie Rodney (sister to Hannah), and  Theodore Kingsbury (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

308 North Layman Avenue

     Frederick M. and Alice Dickerman resided in the newly-constructed home at 308 North Layman Avenue in 1906. If they had looked out their dining room window, they would have seen James G. Kingsbury mowing his yard at 98 North Layman. Mr. Dickerman worked as a postal clerk for a railroad. The Dickermans lived in a variety of Irvington homes before moving to Los Angeles, California. 

James G. Kingsbury mowed his yard at 98 North Layman Avenue. Behind him you can see 308 North Layman Avenue c1906. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

5602 Lowell Avenue

     Cornelia Kingsbury, the daughter of Theodore and Cornelia Goe Kingsbury, was the subject of this photograph in the winter of 1915. The Kingsburys resided at 5515 Lowell Avenue at the time. Behind the baby, you can see several houses in the 5600 block of Lowell Avenue. The most visible home is 5602 Lowell Avenue (on the left). Wellington and Anne Downing had resided in that home since 1905. Mr. Downing was a contractor and built many homes in that section of Irvington. 

Cornelia Kingsbury in front of her home at 5515 Lowell Avenue in 1915. Behind her, you can see the intersection of Lowell and Layman Avenues. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Up Next:  The First Concrete Block House in Irvington? 

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for their stories and photos of Irvington. I also wish to thank Katherine Meadows who assisted me with research on 98 North Layman Avenue. 

Sources: Interview with Kathy and Dick Meyer, June 9, 2025; 1910 Federal Census; Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1903-1915; Frame addition to 98 North Layman Avenue: "Building Permits," Indianapolis Journal, November 14, 1903, p. 8; Repairs to Barn: "Building Permits," Indianapolis Journal, April 9, 1904, p. 10.