Many Families Have Resided in Arlington Avenue Home

Dozens of Irvington families have dwelled in the American Four Square at 268 South Arlington Avenue since its construction in 1916.  Because it was a rental, families moved in and out of the dwelling.  The Dressendorfer family appeared to be the first to have lived in the house although they only stayed one year. The Barrs and Swifts briefly called the house “home ” as well.  In 1920, Orville and Estella Crawford rented the home. Mr. Crawford was a lumber salesman and had to provide for his growing family.  The Crawfords had four children including a set of twins.  Several other families moved into the house throughout the 1930s. In 1935, Rollie and Myrtle Corey rented the property for $30 a month.  They certainly needed the space because they had ten children! Mr. Corey worked as a milk inspector for the city of Indianapolis. Several of his adult children had jobs by 1940.  The Coreys lived in the house for ten years.  Stability finally arrived when the Jetts moved into the abode in the late 1940s. James H. Jett was a press operator. His wife stayed home and took care of the couple’s five children.  By the 1960s, Mr. Jett worked as a grinder for Chrysler.  The Jetts lived in the house for nearly thirty years.  Homer and Virginia Patterson purchased the place in the early 1970s and remained well into the 1980s.  Some alterations have occurred over the years including the removal of the front door opening and covering the clapboard siding with vinyl siding.  

Katherine, Mary, and Jeannette Corey posed on the family car behind their home at 268 South Arlington Avenue c1940

Rollie and Myrtle Corey had ten children and dwelled at 268 South Arlington Avenue in the 1930s and 40s.

268 South Arlington Avenue in 2014

The historic photos are courtesy of the Corey Family via Ancestry.com.  

Traffic Patrol Boys at School #77--1942

Arlington Avenue could be a dangerous street even in 1942 so that is why School #77 commissioned patrol boys.  They helped to assist children across the street at major intersections near the school.  This former traffic patrol boy from Rushville, Indiana took his post very seriously as I worked the intersection of East 7th and Willow Street near my school in the late 1970s.  Patrol boys had to be in good standing with the school and deemed responsible by the administration before taking their posts.  In this photo, from Joyce Mitzner Smith via Ann Stewart, several patrol boys posed for a school photo in 1942.  Thankfully, we know the names of every child in this picture.  It is hard to believe that most of them are nearly 80 or older now.

Top Row:  Charles Lohman, John Farson, George Fisher, Dan Meininger, Carl Geider, Philip Smith

Bottom Row:  Bill Cowell, Paul Coutz, Jimmie McFerran, Charles Patterson

Ann Stewart remembers several of the boys in the photos.  She sadly pointed out that Philip Smith had the unfortunate diagnosis of polio while attending the school.

A special thanks to Joyce Mitzner Smith and Ann Stewart for this image and the names of the students.

First Day of School--1920

Bob and Tom Ferling posed for their mother in September of 1920, before going off to school at School #58. The boys were the sons of George and Rae Ferling, who dwelled at 311 North Bosart Avenue. The home seen behind the kids is across the street at 308 North Bosart. The Bosart family owned quite a lot of land just west of Irvington. The Bosart Family farmstead is still standing at the northeast corner of East Washington Street and Bosart Avenue. Much of their land was redeveloped in the early twentieth century for these homes. The Russell family lived across the street at 308 North Bosart Avenue in 1920. The contemporary photograph shows the same image in 2012. The house has been altered since the historic photo was taken. The historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling.