Google Streetview Reveals the Lost Structures of the Greater Irvington Area, Part II

      Since 2007 the Google car has captured dozens of lost structures from the greater Irvington area. In part two of this series you will get to revisit many houses and two commercial buildings that used to grace the neighborhood. I am working on a third post just about the lost buildings of East Washington Street. That will come later this spring.  

39 South Arlington Avenue

     For as long as I could remember it, the cute cottage at 39 South Arlington Avenue had been empty, but that hadn't always been the case. The small residence was likely built in 1905 for Charles Wambold, a painter and wallpaper installer. Numerous families lived in the home over the years including the Armstrongs, Vannettes, Reeds, Coreys, Kelleys, and Willettes. No trace of the home exists today, but Google captured one of the last photos of the house in 2007. 

39 South Arlington Avenue, 2007 (Google Streetview)

Sonia Johnson posed in her front yard at 44 South Arlington Avenue in 1975. Her Grandpa and Grandma Willett lived across the street in the cottage located at 39 South Arlington Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Garza family)

4902 East New York Street

     The former two-story home located on the northwest corner of East New York and DeQuincy Streets dates to at least 1908. Clarence and Helen Cummins and their daughter Marian were likely the first residents of the home. Mr. Cummins earned a reputation as an outstanding reporter for both the Indianapolis News and Indianapolis Star. He briefly moved out to California to improve his health, but sadly he died at a young age in 1917. Mrs. Cummins also died at a young age leaving Marian without parents. She later went to Butler University and was a candidate for the May Queen pageant. The house burned sometime around 2013 and the site is now an empty lot. 

4902 East New York Street, Google Streetview, 2009

Marian Cummins (lower right) grew up at 4902 East New York Street. By the age of 20 she had lost both of her parents. (Indianapolis Times, April 30, 1930, p. 2)

446-448-450 North Riley Avenue

      Earl R. Gillum opened his grocery store at 448 North Riley in 1911. Next door, Hugh R. Kennedy operated at a drugstore. Later Beverly D. Brown took over the pharmacy. Numerous families lived upstairs in the apartments overlooking the Michigan Streetcar line. With the arrival of the concept known as the supermarket, little groceries like Mr. Gillum's struggled to survive. It also didn't help that the drugstore next door seemed to be a magnet for bandits. In the 1950s, a company known as Musi-Com leased the building for an office. Owner Robert Whitesell and engineer Charles Bailey pumped music into various large stores like Marsh Supermarkets. By the end of the twentieth century, not much seemed to be going on with the building. The structure had so much potential, but there must have been issues as one day it was just gone. 

446-448-450 North Riley Avenue, Google Streetview, 2009

This Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows a sketch of the corner in 1940. The pinkish color represents that building was brick. (Indiana University-Indianapolis Digital Collections) 

435-437 South Ritter Avenue

     The first ad for renting either 435 or 437 South Ritter Avenue first appeared in various Indianapolis newspapers in 1909. For over a century, numerous people moved in and out of the tiny one-bedroom duplex. You could rent either side for $6.00. By 1930, it leased for $20 a month. In 1912, burglars snuck onto the back porch of 437 South Ritter Avenue and stole Martin Moore's recently-churned ice cream and spoons. He only called the police because he wanted his spoons back. Several couples welcomed babies while living in either half including Otha and Mary Higgenbotham in 1922, Earl and Thelma Oaks in 1924, Ernest and Lucille Settle in 1930, and Clarence and Emma Stockdale in 1945. Of course joy and sadness often go hand in hand. Perhaps the most tragic case occurred in 1912 when forty-one-year old George Moore failed to hear the train at South Audubon Road crossing at the Pennsylvania Railroad. His young son Edward had to identify his deceased father. Many neighbors along Audubon Road testified that the train was going too fast. By 2009 the property was in poor shape and all of those memories were wiped away with the removal of the historic structure. 

435-437 South Ritter Avenue, Google Streetview

In 1922, several local newspapers announced that Mary and Otha Higgenbotham welcomed a baby girl into their lives. The Higgenbothams resided at 437 South Ritter Avenue at the time and were active members of the First Baptist Church on Good Avenue. They named their little girl Ardell. Long after they moved out of their home on Ritter Avenue, Ardell posed for this photograph.  (photo courtesy of Krystal Wagner via Find-a-Grave)

466 South Ritter Avenue

       For the first several decades of its existence, 466 South Ritter Avenue served as a home for the Meyer family. They were first recorded living in the house in 1907. The Meyers have the distinction of being one of the founding families of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Irvington had largely been a Protestant neighborhood until the early twentieth century when many Catholic families like the Meyers moved into the area. The Meyers eventually moved around the corner into the beautiful two-story farmhouse located at 5802 Brookville Road. Through the remainder of the twentieth century, the home changed into both a restaurant and eventually a bar. The Ritter Inn became a landmark for many International Harvester employees who stopped by after work for a drink or two. The structure went up in flames in 2013. It had been empty for sometime. 

The Ritter Inn at 466 South Ritter Avenue, Google Streetview, 2011; The Meyer home in the rear of the structure was still visible. 

Regulars at the Ritter Inn swapped stories to reporter Marge Hanley in 1978. (Indianapolis News, May 4, 1978, p. 14)

110 South Webster Avenue

     In 1922 Jasper Raymond Rogers took out a building permit to erect the bungalow formerly located at 110 South Webster Avenue. He was a carpenter so it is possible that he built the house. Located in the Tilford and Thrasher Subdivision of Irvington, Rogers was one of the few white residents in the neighborhood. Over the years many Black residents purchased lots and built homes in the addition. Racist covenants and redlining prevented many Black citizens from the dream of homeownership in certain parts of the city. In 1938 Jesse and Maude Wright along with their children moved into the house. They resided in the bungalow through much of the remainder of the 20th century. Census records reveal that Mr. Wright moved to Irvington from South Carolina. He was part of the Great Migration, a movement of Black residents from the South for opportunities in the North. He worked in a foundry. The Google car captured one of the last images of the house in 2009. 

110 South Webster Avenue, Google Streetview, 2009

Tilford and Thrasher East Addition to Irvington as seen on the Baist map of 1927 (Indiana University-Indianapolis Digital Collections) 

     

Sources:  39 South Arlington Avenue--Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1905-1989; US Federal Census Records-1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; 4902 East New York Street--"Clarence Cummins Dies in California, Indianapolis News, September 11, 1917, p. 4; Obituary for Helen Cummins--Indianapolis News, December 12, 1928, p. 8;  448 N. Riley--"Addicts Blamed for Drug Store Narcotics Theft," Indianapolis Times, May 8, 1924, p. 2; "Two Armed Bandits Hold Up Drug Store," Indianapolis News, March 31, 1927, p. 40; 466 S. Ritter--"Meyer Services Wednesday," Indianapolis News, October 13, 1958, p. 8; "Former Ritter Inn is Destroyed by Fire," Indianapolis Star. October 24, 2013, p. A5; 110 South Webster--Obituary for Mrs. Maude Wright, Indianapolis Star, January 25, 1978, p. 40; Obituary for Carter Babb--Indianapolis Star, May 24, 1966, p. 42; Obituary for Jesse Wright--Indianapolis News, July 30, 1956, p. 7

New York Street Home Then and Now

 

       Sometime in the mid-1940s, a member of the Shimer family snapped an image of Edna Webster Shimer as she walked up to her home at 5815 East New York Street. The Shimers were active members of the nearby Irvington Methodist Church, so it is possible that she was coming home from a service. Behind her in the photograph, you can see the bungalow located across the street at 5814 East New York Street. Robert and Celestine Ratz Glassmeyer along with their three children, Robert Jr., Joanie, and Richard resided in that home. The Glassmeyers had lived in the house since the late 1920s. Amazingly, their residence looks much the same today as it did nearly 80 years ago when Mrs. Shimer came home on a winter or early spring day. 

Edna Webster Shimer walks up to her home at 5815 East New York Street c1945. Behind her, you can see the Glassmeyer bungalow at 5814 East New York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

The bungalow located at 5814 East New York Street looks much as did in the late 1920s when the Glassmeyers moved into the house. (photo snapped December, 2023)

     I wish to thank Chris Shimer and Therese Glassmeyer for their help with this post. 

Shimer Family Purchased New York Street Bungalow

      Thomas and Edna Webster Shimer bought their relatively new bungalow at 5815 East New York Street in 1930. They were not the first family to reside in the home. Werner and Irene Monninger and their young daughter, Gloria, lived in the house from 1926 until 1930. Mr. Monninger, a World War One veteran, taught at Arsenal Technical High School while Mrs. Monninger studied art at the Herron Art School. She later made a name for herself painting portraits. In 1930 they moved south of Irvington to 2160 South Ritter Avenue.

     Thomas Sylvester Shimer and Edna Webster Shimer had been married for nearly nine years when they purchased their forever home on New York Street in Irvington. Their son, Thomas, Jr., was only four years old when they moved in. Photos from their early years in the home show the young boy playing outside and celebrating Christmas. 

     Mr. Shimer worked as a safety engineer with his father-in-law, Dana Webster, at the Aetna Insurance Company. The job provided stability for the family as he remained with the company for 43 years. As a World War One veteran, he joined the local American Legion Post No. 38 and occasionally served as an officer. Mrs. Shimer stayed home and raised their son. Newspaper articles reveal that she served on the PTA for School #57 and that she hosted the Mother Study Club. She also had some musical talent and that seems to have passed to her son, Thomas Jr. He later became a jazz lover and played the saxophone for most of his life. 

     The Shimers were members of the Irvington Methodist Church so they could easily walk to Sunday services. Thomas Shimer, Jr. graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1944 and received a scholarship to study at the University of Cincinnati although World War II briefly affected those plans. In 1951, the Shimers walked down to the Methodist Church to witness the marriage of their only son to Carol Thompson. Later, they also proudly watched as he became an architect. In fact, he designed numerous hospitals in the state of Indiana including some of the wings for Community Hospital East. 

     Thomas Shimer retired from Aetna Insurance in 1962. In 1967, he died in the hospital designed by his son, Community East. He was 69 years old. Mrs. Shimer continued to live in the bungalow for many more years; however, due to her age she had to move into a nursing home run by the Methodists in Franklin, Indiana. She passed away in 2000 at the age of 100 years old. Thomas Shimer, Jr. passed away in 2012 at the age of 86. 

Edna Webster Shimer and Thomas Shimer, Sr. posed in their living room at 5815 East New York Street with their son Thomas, Jr. sometime in the early 1930s. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer, Jr. posed next to the family Christmas tree c1930 at 5815 East New York Street. Under the tree that morning appears to be a miniature Christmas village scene. As an adult, Thomas Shimer, Jr. had his own architectural firm in the city of Indianapolis. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer) 

Mila Murphy Shimer posed with her daughter-in-law, Edna Webster Shimer, and her grandson, Thomas Shimer, Jr, c1930 in the front yard of 5815 East New York Street. The home most visible in the photo is 5819 East New York Street. The Cheney family lived in that house at the time of the photo. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer, Jr. posed along the sidewalk at 5815 East New York Street c1930 after a snowfall in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

For much of the twentieth century, the Shimer family resided at 5815 East New York Street. (photo snapped on December 8, 2023)

          I wish to thank Chris Shimer and Sheri Piland for their help with this post.  

Sources:  Irene Monninger--Lucille Morehouse, "Portrait is of Interest to Art and Theater," Indianapolis Star, August 5, 1945; "Irene Monninger Liked Art, Music," Indianapolis News, June 13, 1964, 6; Werner Monninger--"Former Teacher Dies in Florida," Indianapolis Star, May 19, 1961; Thomas Shimer, Sr--"Thomas Shimer Dies, Retired Safety Engineer," Indianapolis Star, January 16, 1967, 33; Edna Webster Shimer--online obituary, 2000; "Mother Study Club," Indianapolis Star, November 14, 1937, 50; Thomas Shimer, Jr. --online obituary, 2012; Scholarship--Indianapolis Star, June 27, 1944; "Carol Anne Thompson, T.S. Shimer, Jr. To Wed," Indianapolis Star, December 17, 1950; Community Hospital--Indianapolis Star, May 31, 1964, 2; 1930 Federal Census; Polk's City Directory for Indianapolis.

Family Hosted Wedding in Bosart Avenue Home

 

A Beautiful Day for a Wedding--Saturday, April 2, 1921

     Residents near the intersection of North Bosart Avenue and East New York Street likely noticed many cars parked along the nearby streets. By 3:00 PM, the sun was out and the temperature neared 60 degrees. It was a perfect day to host a wedding in Irvington. If the neighbors opened their windows at that hour they would have heard Elizabeth Engle's rendition of the bridal chorus on the Webster family piano at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Miss Engle took piano lessons from Edna Webster and it was time for her most important recital thus far. 

The Websters Move to Irvington

     Dana and Annie Dicks Webster first moved to Indianapolis from New England in 1906. Mr. Webster had been hired by the Aetna Insurance Company as a safety engineer. They first lived on North Central Avenue, but by 1916 the Webster family, including daughters Arline and Edna, moved into their newly-built home at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Today, we know this area of Irvington as the Bosart-Brown neighborhood. Mr. Webster's name appeared in newspapers all over the state of Indiana as he was in high demand as a guest speaker about worker safety. Mrs. Webster stayed home to raise their two daughters. She was an outstanding seamstress and during the war years she knitted for the Red Cross and later for Goodwill industries. Both Arline and Edna graduated from Arsenal Technical High School and Arline attended Purdue University. Later, long after both girls had moved out and married, Mr. Webster became upset by the tax increases upon his Bosart Avenue property and in 1938 he led a successful petition drive to lower the tax rate in the city. On this day, however, his mind was focused on his daughter, Edna and her soon-to-be husband, Thomas Shimer. 

Annie Dicks Webster wore a "Harding blue" dress on the day of her daughter's wedding in 1921. Both Mr. and Mrs. Webster, who were in their mid-forties, posed along their sidewalk at 131 North Bosart Avenue. Behind the couple, you can see the home of Agnes Haddow at 133 North Bosart Avenue and in the distance you can see the Morrow home at 4702 East York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

The Shimer Family Pre-dates the Founding of Irvington

     Edna Webster had been born in Connecticut, but her fiance, Thomas Shimer, had been born into a family who had lived in the area since the early nineteenth century. The Shimers owned farms along Brookville Road for decades. By 1921, they had sold off much of the land and lived in various houses along South Emerson Avenue. Nelson Shimer, the father of Thomas, was ten years old when founders, Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson, began buying land north of the Shimer farm for a planned community named Irvington. In his lifetime, he watched as developers and contractors built houses and commercial structures on former meadows and woodland. By 1921, Nelson had retired from farming as he was 61 years old. Mila Murphy Shimer had been busy on the farm as she helped raise nine children. For many decades the couple resided at 422 South Emerson Avenue so their commute to the Webster home would have been a short one.  

Nelson Shimer was 61 on the day of his son's wedding, while Mila was 59. They lived nearby on South Emerson Avenue. In this photo, they stood along the sidewalk belonging to the Webster family of 131 North Bosart Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Thomas Shimer and Edna Webster Marry

     With Miss Engle playing the piano, sixty guests crammed into the home attempted to watch as Edna Webster and Thomas Shimer took their vows in front of the fireplace at 131 North Bosart Avenue. The couple stood near lattice work buttressed by ferns. Greenery and flowers draped the nearby staircase and even from the hanging lights. Ralph Shimer, the groom's cousin, served as the best man while Arline Webster, Edna's older sister, served as the maid of honor. Both Thomas and Arline had graduated from Arsenal Technical School. Did they meet there? We do not know. Thomas served his country during World War One and had found work in the insurance industry upon his return. Following their honeymoon, the couple took up residence in the Spink-Arms Apartments at the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Downey Avenue. 

Thomas Shimer and Edna Webster married at her home at 131 North Bosart Avenue on April 2, 1921. The couple would eventually move into a bungalow at 5815 East New York Street in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

131 North Bosart Avenue along with 133 North Bosart and 4702 East New York Street on December 4, 2023. 102 years earlier, a wedding took place at this house. 

Sources:  I wish to thank Chris Shimer for his help with this post. About the actual day--"Wedding," Indianapolis News, April 2, 1921, 14; Mrs. Webster--"Annie Webster Dies at Hospital," Indianapolis News, July 26, 1957, 5; Mr. Webster and tax revolt--"Taxpayers Unite in Strong Demand for Heavy Slashes," Indianapolis News, August 31, 1938, 1. Federal Census Records for 1920; Polk's City Directory for 1916-1921. 

New York Street House Visible in Historic Photo

      Charles S. Townsend took out a building permit for 5821 East New York Street in 1910.  While Mr. Townsend may have been responsible for the construction of the house, the first person to reside in it was Abraham Shortridge, for whom both the high school and the road is named. That he was able to do so was quite amazing as the elderly man had been struck by a traction car near his farm east of Irvington in 1906 and lost part of a leg. After the accident, he convalesced at his son's home on Lowell Avenue. City directories indicate that the beloved educator lived in his new two-story home intermittently throughout the 1910s. 

The Coons Family

      George (known as Elmer) and Helen Schneider Coons likely moved into the New York Street home in 1918. It is unclear when they purchased the home, but a World War I draft card belonging to Mr. Coons lists him at the New York Street address. The card also noted that Mr. Coons was 38 years old and an unemployed laborer with a broken collar bone. Helen Coons came from a prominent German family in Hanover, Indiana. The couple had eight children so they likely needed a larger home. Don Rouse, the great grandson of Elmer and Helen Coons, had always heard that Elmer Coons had likely built the home. Mr. Coons was a Jack-of-all-trades and worked in a variety of jobs in construction and plumbing. 

     For the next four decades, the Coons family resided at 5821 East New York Street. Like any family, they celebrated many joyful moments and endured some tragedies. In 1923, the Indianapolis Times reported that Katherine Coons was part of a dance troupe known as the Indianapolis Follies. They performed at the Lyric Theater. One of their sons, Paul, helped to organize a bike race in Irvington in 1931 on the grounds of the former campus of Butler University. Several of their children married while living in the house. Shadows fell over the family after the death of two sons at a young age, and Mr. Coons died suddenly of a heart attack in 1926 at the plumbing business where he worked. He was only 47 years old leaving Mrs. Coons with the task of rearing their children and managing the house.

     Months after the death of Elmer Coons, an ad appeared in the Indianapolis Star that read, 3-room apt. for rent; furnished, sink, gas range, $6. In order to keep the home, Mrs. Coons turned the house into a duplex. She took out a building permit in 1929 so perhaps that is when she changed the porch and added a door onto the west side of the house. Numerous renters lived in the home throughout the twentieth century. She also covered the clapboard exterior with asphalt siding. A later owner clad the home in aluminum siding. After Mrs. Coons passed away in 1966, the family sold the property. 

     For the past several years, the home has been empty and work has started and stopped. Recently, building permits have appeared in the window so there is hope that the Shortridge-Coons home will see better days. 

     

Thomas Shimer, Jr., who lived at 5815 East New York Street, posed for this winter photograph c1931. Behind him, you can see 5821, 5823, 5825, and 5829 East New York Street. Besides the Coons family, the Timmons, Schaeffer, and Treat families resided in this block in the early 1930s. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

A close up of the photograph taken in 1931 reveals the original front porch of 5821 East New York Street. (photo courtesy of Chris Shimer)

Helen Schneider Coons turned 5821 East New York Street into a duplex after the death of her husband in 1926. In this photograph, snapped in 1950, you can see that the home has been clad in asphalt siding and had a newer front porch. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

5821 East New York Street has been changed many times since 1910. Currently, the asphalt siding has been removed and building permits are in the window. (November, 2023)

The Coons family resided in 5821 East New York Street from 1918 until 1966. They posed for this photograph in 1920. Top Row: Anna, Ruth, Katherine, Elmer, Forest; Seated: Paul, Esther, Helen, and Carl. One son, Clarence, had already died. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse) 

     I wish to thank Don Rouse and Steve Barnett for their help with this post. It is possible that the house might have been moved onto the lot in 1910 as the architectural style reflects an earlier era. More research is needed. 

Sources:  Katherine Coons and the Indianapolis Follies--Indianapolis Times, June 7, 1; Paul Coons and the bike race--Indianapolis Star, September 4, 1931; Helen Coons--building permit--Indianapolis Star, August 29, 1929, 19; For rent ad--Indianapolis Star, September 26, 1926, 25; Polk's Indianapolis City Directories 1909-1966; Research by Steve Barnett at the Irvington Historical Society; Don Rouse, the great grandson of Elmer and Helen Coons. 

Irvington at 150: Street Names N-R

In part four of five in our series on Irvington street names, we continue to explore the history of various avenues throughout the neighborhood. When the city annexed Irvington in 1902 officials consolidated names to reflect the nearby matching street. However, there are several unique names that began in Irvington. A California city, a constellation, a popular tree, local families, and a beloved Hoosier poet all have a home on street signs in the historic suburb.  

New York Street: Formerly called Shank Street after a prominent local family, the city of Indianapolis changed the name in 1909 to coordinate with New York Street, which originates downtown. The Shanks owned several acres at the intersection of Arlington and Washington Streets in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

Norway Drive: William Alexander and Flora McDonald Ketcham, who founded the Irvington neighborhood of Pleasanton, named one of their streets "Norway." Mr. Ketcham, a Civil War veteran and leader in the Grand Army of the Republic, received front page news when he passed away suddenly in 1921. In none of his lengthy biographical profiles is there mentioned a connection to the nation of Norway. Mrs. Ketcham passed away in 1938. She also appears to have no connection to Scandinavia. Since they named the other two streets after trees, perhaps Norway refers to a spruce or maple. 

Oak Avenue: The beautiful winding street known as Oak Avenue was likely named after the majestic trees still present in the 1870s when the neighborhood was platted. Some of those specimen still exist in 2020. Generations of families have resided and played under these ancient trees. East of Arlington Avenue, the city renamed Third Street as Oak Avenue as well. 

Chuck Vogt posed with his sister, Jane, and his new bike under the giant oak tree near 5733 Oak Avenue in 1947.  Behind the siblings, you can also see the residence at  5728 Oak Avenue. (photo courtesy of Chuck and Joyce Vogt)

Ohmer Avenue: Nicholas Ohmer was a very early investor in Irvington. A resident of Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Ohmer and possibly his brother George Ohmer, built 312 Downey Avenue in 1873. The beautiful Second-Empire style, a French design, was in vogue when the brothers built the elegant brick home. Mr. Ohmer was a horticulturalist and likely became involved in the neighborhood due his connection with Sylvester Johnson, a founder of Irvington. There is little evidence that Mr. Ohmer lived in the house and if he did then it was for a brief period of time. His primary residence was located at 1350 Creighton Avenue in Dayton. Both he and his brother George also operated a series of restaurants throughout the Midwest in or near train stations including one in Union Station in Indianapolis. When Ohmer's Irvington home was restored in 1966 the residents of the neighborhood decided to interpret the house from the Benton family's tenure in the home. A nearby street was named for Mr. Ohmer and local historian, Steve Barnett, has discovered that part of Julian Avenue was also named Ohmer. Both the house in Dayton and his creation in Irvington are on the National Register of Historic places. Not many Americans can claim that honor. Furthermore, Mr. Ohmer built his own suburb around his orchard in Dayton in the 1880s and it also bears his name as Ohmer Park. 

Nicholas and Susanna Spratt Ohmer of Dayton, Ohio: Mr. Ohmer built what would become known as the Benton House at 312 South Downey Avenue in Irvington in 1873. Mrs. Ohmer's brother, Thomas B. Spratt also became an early investor in Irvington. (photo courtesy of Ohmer family via Ancestry.com)

Nicholas Ohmer built this beautiful home for his very large family at 1350 Creighton Avenue in Dayton, Ohio in 1864. He also founded the suburb of Ohmer Park in Dayton. (Screenshot of home)

Some accounts note that George Ohmer, the brother to Nicholas, helped in the investment of 312 South Downey Avenue (the Benton House). He became quite wealthy as he operated numerous restaurants around train stations in the Midwest. He is given credit for helping both Thomas Taggart, an Indiana politician, and inventor Thomas Edison early in their careers. (photo courtesy of Ohmer descendants via Ancestry.com)

Named for the Benton family who dwelled here in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the house was built by Nicholas and George Ohmer in 1873.  (photo by Wm. Gulde, spring 2020)

Orion Avenue: The Irvington Town Board reached for the stars in 1898 when they renamed Nora and Water Streets after the constellation. (Indianapolis News, November 8, 1898, 12)

Pasadena Street: At about the same time that the first residents started to build houses in Irvington in the early 1870s, a different group of Hoosiers moved to southern California and founded the city of Pasadena. They wanted to name their new home the Indiana Colony, but that name was rejected by the US Post Office so they settled on the Chippewa name that literally means "crown of the valley." Nearly fifty years later when developers east of Irvington needed a new street name, they chose "Pasadena." By the late 1920s, the Stradley, Thomas, and Goodnough families lived in charming bungalows and Tudor-Revival cottages along the new street just north of Washington Street. 

Pleasant Run Parkway: Noted landscape architect, George Kessler, began his tenure with the city of Indianapolis in 1907 and worked with officials through 1915. He had already designed boulevard systems in Kansas City and Cincinnati. In 1909, he presented a bold plan to the city that linked green spaces with winding boulevards that followed streams or rivers. Irvington became part of that plan when Mr. Kessler proposed Pleasant Run Parkway along the Pleasant Run stream. Although his vision was not completed until the late 1920s, boulevards like Fall Creek Parkway, Brookside Parkway, Kessler Boulevard, and Pleasant Run Parkway are some of the most beautiful in the city of Indianapolis. 

Poplar Road: When William Alexander Ketcham and his wife Flora McDonald Ketcham platted Pleasanton in 1915, they named one of the streets after a genus containing 25-30 species--Poplar. By the early 1920s, middle class families began building along the beautifully planned street. Reflecting the modern era in which the residences were built, several of the families along Poplar had a portre cochere attached to the side of their homes. 

Evelyn Schneider posed with her doll in 1925 in front of her home at 327 Poplar Road. The Schneiders were among many families who moved into new homes in the Pleasanton neighborhood of Irvington. To see more images of this street, click on the "Poplar Road" tab below. (Photo courtesy of Bill Ferling)

Rawles Avenue: Lycurgus Rawles joined Jacob Julian and several other investors in developing southern Irvington in 1873. His death at age 38 in that year ended his brief tenure in the venture. His father, John Rawles, stepped in and served as the administrator of his estate by selling off lots. More research is needed on this family, who seemed to have more connections to Lafayette than they do to Irvington. To honor the Rawles family, early developers named a street for them connecting South Arlington Avenue to Audubon Road.  In 1903, the city renamed Trislar Avenue west of Audubon Road and east of South Ritter Avenue as Rawles Avenue as well.

John Rawles, the father of Lycurgus Rawles, sold off his son's remaining real estate after Lycurgus passed away in 1873. (Ad in The Indiana Sentinel, March 22, 1876) 

Ridgeview Drive: When the Buckeye Realty Company under the leadership of John Chilcote developed the Irvington Terrace neighborhood in 1913, they originally named this street as Kensington presumably after the palace in England. Several families sought to build their own modest "palaces" along the street. R.L. Castle erected many of the residences. In October of 1916, the city of Indianapolis changed the name to the generic Ridgeview Drive. They also changed nearby Eldridge to Kenmore Road. 

An ad in the Indianapolis News, November 15, 1914, (39) for 319 North Ridgeview Drive, formerly addressed as 95 Kensington Avenue. 

Riley Avenue: Beloved Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley, would have still been alive when the Irvington Town Board honored him by naming a street Riley Avenue sometime around the turn of the century.  While the avenue today is most associated with the Emerson Heights neighborhood, it originated north of Washington Street and began life as Summit Avenue. In 1898, the Irvington Town Board considered calling it Appian Way after the famous the Roman road, but eventually Riley Avenue won the day. We do not know if Mr. Riley ever visited the stretch named for him. Further research is needed! 

James Whitcomb Riley (public domain)

Ritter Avenue: When Levi Ritter purchased over 80 acres of land in Warren Township in 1869 he had the idea of owning a Jersey cattle farm. His vision changed once he heard that Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson were planning to develop a suburb next to his acreage. Mr. Ritter built a large home for his family on the southwest corner of East Washington Street and what was to become "Ritter Avenue." According to a 1903 Indianapolis Journal article, old growth trees, iron weed, and "red-topped" thistle dominated the landscape around the family. On September 16, 1871, Mr. Ritter platted the first addition to the new suburb of Irvington. He kept the original plan in place with winding streets. Although it is difficult to imagine today, Mr. Ritter, Mr. Julian, and Mr. Johnson kept a fully-stocked horse stagecoach barn on the northeast corner of East Washington Street and Ritter Avenue. After Mr. Ritter's death in 1893, his widow, Caroline Ritter continued to live on the site until she sold the property to the Indianapolis Public Schools in 1903. IPS #57 has operated continuously on the Ritter land since 1904. 

Sources:  Larry Muncie, Three Windows on Irvington History, 1989; George Kessler--Paul Diebold, Greater Irvington II, 2020; Rawles--"Administrator's Sale, Indianapolis News, March 22, 1876, 2; Ridgview Drive--""Taxi Men Oppose Rate Ordinance," Indianapolis News, October 3, 1916, 11; Riley Avenue--"Call it Audubon Road," Indianapolis News, January 17, 1903, 2; Ritter Avenue--"Old Ritter Homestead: First House Built After Establishment of Irvington," Indianapolis Journal, June 28, 1903, 8.

War Rationing Comes to Graham Avenue

The modest bungalow at 335 North Graham Avenue served as the home for the Richardson family as American troops fought during World War II.

George and Edythe Richardson married on December 11, 1938, and first resided in a small apartment at 4414 East New York Street. Later, they moved into 351 North Audubon Road with George's family. By 1943, they were ready to strike out on their own and relocated into the Graham Avenue home along with their children, Donn and Elizabeth. Arthur L. Chesterfield, the father of Edythe Richardson and owner of the Aluminum Finishing Company, lived with them as well. George worked at Allison's Engine at the time, but he would later work for his father-in-law. During the war, Mr. Richardson had to get up at three in the morning to go into work to assist with building military devices called bombsights. Edythe Richardson likely worried about all four of her brothers who all fought in the war. Her brother, Ed Chesterfield, helped to liberate the concentration camp known as Dachau. Her brother, Art Chesterfield, served as a guard during the Nuremberg Trials after the war was over. Her sisters also aided in the war effort at home.

As World War II raged on, Americans like the Richardsons received war ration booklets containing stamps. Every member of the family received a booklet including the very youngest who might need canned milk. Sugar, coffee, rubber, and gasoline were hard to get as the war dragged on so folks like the Richardsons had to use their rations to obtain certain products. The booklets pictured below, were issued by the government in 1943. Like many Americans, the family also planted a victory garden to raise their own produce. The Richardson family garden was actually located southeast of Washington Street and Arlington Avenue.

While the Richardson family really outgrew their bungalow almost as soon as they moved into it, they waited until the end of the war to move into a much larger residence at 477 North Audubon Road.

Edythe and George Richardson met at Butler University. They married in 1938 and moved into this bungalow at 335 North Graham Avenue in 1943. 

George Richardson stood along the walk in his front yard at 335 North Graham Avenue in 1943. 

George Richardson posed for a photograph in his front yard at 335 North Graham Avenue in 1943. Behind him, you can see the bungalow located at 333 North Graham Avenue. The Ratz family, neighbors to the Richardsons, lived in that residence for years. 

The Richardsons of 335 North Graham Avenue were issued ration booklets for each member of the family in 1943. Arthur Chesterfield, listed on one of the booklets, was the father of Edythe Richardson. 

I wish to thank Donn and Carolyn Richardson for making this post possible. 

Tragedy at East New York Street and Linwood Avenue--1946

A crowd gathered at the intersection of East New York Street and Linwood Avenue on May 1, 1946. It was a rainy and sadly a tragic day for Mrs. Luella Cummings, who dwelled at 423 North Linwood Avenue. The eighty-year old woman was attempting to walk across New York Street when she was struck and killed by Dexter Maitland of Los Angeles, California. Mr. Maitland was later charged with reckless driving, vagrancy, and failure to maintain his brakes.

The shops visible in the photograph were located at 4417 to 4427 East New York Street. The Tudor-Revival structure still stands in 2018. The accident had been on a Wednesday afternoon so it was likely that all of the businesses were open and perhaps hosting customers. Some of the shops operating that day included:  Ward's Radio Service, Elmo Douglas Photography, Janie Hughes Beauty Shop, G & S Gift Novelties, and Red Seal Cleaners. If you zoom in on the faces of the men, you will note that they have grave expressions. Were they customers in the shops? Business owners? Is one of the men Mr. Maitland? The Buick in the photograph belonged to him. One police officer is identified as Audry Jacobs.  Inspector Jacobs worked in the traffic division for the Indianapolis Police Department for years. At age 15, his father was killed by a drunken driver so he dedicated his life to various causes that could help with traffic safety including one-way streets, synchronized traffic signals, and "walk-wait" signals.

With School #58 located nearby, the police department likely had to work quickly to get the area cleared before the dismissal of the pupils.

4417 E. New York Street accident scene--1946 (image courtesy of Patrick Pearsey) 

Scene of the Tragedy: Luella Cummings of 423 N. Linwood Avenue was struck and killed as she walked across East New York Street on May 1, 1946.

Luella Cummings

The historic image is courtesy of Patrick Pearsey and Indy Long Ago Facebook page. Information for this article came from "Woman Pedestrian, 80, is Year's 25th City Traffic Victim," Indianapolis News, May 2, 1946; Obituary of Audry Jacobs, Indianapolis News, December 28, 1968, 11.

Thomas Newton White c1944

T. Newton White grew up on a farm on the northeast corner of East Tenth Street and Shadeland Avenue.  Most of his life, however, was spent in a small bungalow that he and his wife, Pearl, had constructed in 1915.  In fact, the Whites owned the cottage until the 1970s.  In this photo, taken c1944, Mr. White stood in front of his station wagon parked along East New York Street.  Behind him, you can see the upper story of 5026-28 East New York Street.  The Demaree and DeJeet families dwelled there in 1944.  Mr. White ran the Nichols Candy Company for years and later operated a candy brokerage firm. He also assisted his son-in-law during the 1940s by running Azbell Distributing Company (auto parts) while Mr. Azbell was away at war.  Another business adventure included the development of Irving Ridge, a subdivision along East 11th Street and Shadeland Avenue.  In 1953, at the age of 64 he began to have health problems.  He passed away three years later in 1956.  He is still fondly recalled by his granddaughter, Barbara Azbell Sanders.

T. Newton White stood in front of 5024 East New York Street c1944. Behind him, you can see the double at 5026-28 East New York Street.

5026-28 has been significantly altered over the years and is now shrouded in plastic siding, doors, and windows in 2014.  

Dressed in Riding Clothes

Vivian and Fred Azbell decided to drop by her family's home at 5024 East New York Street before heading out to a horse farm at East 16th and Ritter Avenue in 1938.  They parked along North DeQuincy Street at the at the intersection with New York Street and posed for this shot.  Behind the properly attired couple, you can see the brick double at 4910-12 East New York Street and the roofline of an unusually shaped home at 4914 East New York Street.  The larger home in the distance is that of 4918-20 East New York Street.  Note the wonderful streetlight that used to illuminate the corner.  On the side of the brick double, you can see a couple of bicycles.  The Adrians, a large family, dwelled at 4910 East New York Street in 1938.  Joseph Adrian, an immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine, and his wife Alma had five children and lived on that side of the double!  Frank and Virginia Treat lived at 4912 East New York Street in the other half of the double in 1938. Mr Treat was kept busy repairing refrigerators.  A contemporary photo taken in 2014 shows the same area 76 years later.  In the last image, Vivian White Azbell rode her favorite horse, "Fluffy Ruffles," in 1938.  An unidentified worker at the horse farm can be seen holding a collie.  Community Hospital hospital occupies this site in 2014.

Ready for the horses!  Vivian and Fred Azbell posed at the intersection of North DeQuincy and East New York Streets in 1938. Behind them, you can see 4910-12, 4914, and 4918-20 East New York Street.  

4910-12 and 4914 East New York Street in 2014

Vivan White Azbell rode "Fluffy Ruffles" in 1938 on a horse farm at the southwestern corner of Ritter Avenue and East 16th Street.  

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

A Ride to Impress!

Fred Azbell looked quite dashing as he pulled up in front of 5024 East New York Street in 1934 in his Chrysler convertible.  Awaiting him was Vivian White, who likely snapped this shot. They later married and moved into 1115 North Butler Avenue.  Mr. Azbell operated an auto parts distribution business at 5019 East Michigan Street where he sold Bowes products.

Behind Mr. Azbell, you will note the three Craftsman era homes at 5017 (far right), 5021, and 5025 East New York Street.  The Haunss family dwelled in the larger home at 5017 East New York Street in 1934.  Fred W. Haunss and his wife Anna (a native of Belfast, Ireland) lived in the dwelling with his mother Caroline (a native of Baden, Germany) and their daughter Rosaleen. The home was valued at $7,000 in 1930.  The abode in the middle at 5021 East New York Street was owned by Karl W. and Lillie Hofmann in 1934. Their son, Karl, Jr. and his wife, Anna, also dwelled in the bungalow valued at $3800 in 1930.  Mr. Hofmann's parents hailed from Germany so perhaps some German was spoken between the neighbors.  The house at the left of photo was rented by Fred F. and Florence Lehr for $45 a month in 1934.  Mr. Lehr was accountant for the Van Camp Company. The couple also had a teenaged son named Melvin.  The Haunsses, Hofmanns, and Lehrs surely must have noticed the large Chrysler frequently appearing at the White household across the street.

Classy Ride:  Fred Azbell awaited Vivian White at 5024 East New York Street in 1934. Behind him you can see 5025, 5021, and 5017 East New York Street.  

5025, 5021, and 5017 East New York Street in 2014.