The Paveys Move to Irvington

Jacob and Clarissa Pavey moved to Irvington in the fall of 1909 so that their children could attend Butler University. Mr. Pavey, a retired farmer, owned land in both Boone and Hancock Counties before relocating his wife and three children to 37 South Hawthorne Lane. They rented the house and later remodeled or rebuilt a home at 5338 Julian Avenue. The Paveys had married in 1886 in Boone County. There was a sizable age gap between the pair as Mr. Pavey was fourteen years older than his wife. They raised three children, Mary, Jesse, and Lena, all of whom went on to prominence in their fields of study.

Their oldest child, Mary, graduated from Butler University. She earned her Ph.D and became head of the Ball State University English Department. It would be Mary who would take care of her elderly parents in their final years. Jesse I. Pavey, their only son, became an active businessman in the lumber industry and would later become the Mayor of South Bend from 1938 to 1945. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he ordered the police to arrest any suspicious person.  Jesse had graduated from Butler University where he was the captain of the football team. Their youngest daughter, Lena, graduated from Butler University in 1913, and became a teacher. She later married Avery Morrow and moved to Gary, Indiana.

Mary Pavey on her graduation day from Butler University in the spring of 1912. Behind her, you can see the front porch of 37 South Hawthorne Lane.

Possibly Jesse Pavey, the son of Jacob and Clarissa Pavey, in the spring of 1913 and next to 37 South Hawthorne Lane

Jesse Pavey, who spent his college years in Irvington, would later become Mayor of South Bend from 1938 to 1945.

Two Pavey women sat on a porch swing c1910 at their home at 37 South Hawthorne Lane

37 South Hawthorne Lane in 1915 

The historic images are courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society. To learn more about the Society, clink on this link:  http://www.irvingtonhistorical.org/

Butler Campus Scenes c1912

Butler University moved to Irvington in 1875. Thousands of students lived and studied in the neighborhood over the years until the campus finally relocated in 1928. Mary Pavey, from the class of 1912, took several photos of her beloved school sometime during her tenure at the college. Her wonderful photographs documented a campus that was really already too small for the growing student population. Miss Pavey dwelled nearby at 37 South Hawthorne Lane and later at 5338 Julian Avenue. Her photo collection is now housed at the Irvington Historical Society. To learn more about the Society click on the link below.

Administration building c1912 on the Butler University campus

The Women's Dormitory on the Butler University campus c1913

Mary Pavey (right) on the day of her graduation from Butler University in the spring of 1912. The woman on the left has not been identified.  

Burgess Hall was first built in 1890 for classes including new science labs. It is shown here c1912.

Mary Pavey (front row far left) posed with her friends on the day of her graduation from Butler University in the spring of 1912.  

Thomas Carr Howe, the President of Butler University, in the spring of 1913 on the Butler University campus

The interior Butler University Chapel c1913

The interior of the Butler University Chapel c1913

The photos are courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society. To learn more about how you can join the society in helping to preserve photos like these please click on the link:
http://www.irvingtonhistorical.org/

Bona Thompson Memorial Library After a Snowfall c1912

Mary Pavey, who lived with her family at 37 South Hawthorne Lane, attended Butler University from 1910 until 1912.  After a snowstorm, she grabbed her camera and walked around campus to document the beautiful event. We do not know the exact year of the photo, but it was likely taken around 1912.  The photo along with many others are currently housed at the Irvington Historical Society now located in the Bona Thompson Memorial Library. To learn more about the society click on the link below.

The Bona Thompson Memorial Library c1912

The historic image is courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society.

http://www.irvingtonhistorical.org/