Who Lived Here? The Osborne Family of Poplar Road

In 1925, Thomas C. and Ethel Claffey Osborne moved into their two-year-old home at 411 Poplar Road in the brand new Pleasanton section of Irvington. Mr. Osborne had earned a comfortable living as a broker who distributed fruits and vegetables. The Osbornes dwelled in one of the larger homes in the new suburb of Irvington. Their lovely four-bedroom American Four Square also had a porte-cochère for guests as they pulled into the drive. Many other homes in Pleasanton also had this feature. In 1926, Mr. Osborne posed for a photo for a book called Fellow Citizens of Indianapolis. His business was likely doing quite well during the Roaring 20s. The 1930 Federal Census reveals that the Osborne home was worth $10,000. The couple had two children, a boy and girl, both named after their parents--Thomas and Ethel. 

In 1934, at the height of the Great Depression, Mr. Osborne died at the age of 49 in his home. Mrs. Osborne managed to keep the house through these very difficult times. She began working and also moved her mother, Johanna Claffey, into the residence. On Christmas Day in 1938, the Indianapolis Star reported on the joyful wedding of Ethel, her daughter, to the Reverend Joseph Edwards at the Shelby Street Methodist Church. Her new son-in-law and daughter moved into the Poplar Road house. In the following year, her son, Thomas also married and he too brought his new bride back to the house. The 1940 Federal Census reveals a full house! Two married couples, one grandson, along with Mrs. Osborne and her mother now lived in the Four Square. Like most Irvington homes, the Great Depression had affected the value of the home as it dropped to $7,000 in 1940.

Mrs. Osborne married a man named William Mize and continued to reside at 411 Poplar Road until 1953. City directories reveal that after this date she lived alone and on Emerson Avenue. She died in 1972. 

411 Poplar Road in 2016

Journal Reveals Snippets of Life in Irvington--1948

Lawrence and Nell Dufour dwelled in three houses in the Irvington area. They would in total have ten children:  Lenore, Daniel, Sussanne, Richard, Donna, Bernadette, Christopher, Victoria, Maria, and Dianne.  While Mr. Dufour worked as a salesman and traveled all over the state of Indiana, Mrs. Dufour stayed home with the children. She washed clothes every single day and diapers for at least fourteen years.  She prepared meals daily and made sure the children got off to school. Somehow she also found time be an active part of the community. In 1948, her husband gave her a journal to record and document their lives which she did faithfully for two years.  Her daily snippets reveal so much detail about their lives at their Michigan Street and Audubon Road addresses. She stopped recording events throughout the 1950s due to her busy life, but she resumed again in the 1960s.

All of the following journal entries were written while the Dufours dwelled at 5125 East Michigan Street in 1948.

5125 East Michigan Street in 2015

Movies

January 18, 1948:  Larry and I went to the Emerson this evening to see Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara in "The Foxes of Harrow." She is beautiful and a wonderful actress, but the picture was definitely in the "B" category.

Valentine's Day

February 14, 1948:  Daddy brought the children a large box of Fannie May Candy as a Valentine to them! To me, he sent a dozen of lovely long-stemmed roses. He is still sweet and considerate. My Valentine to my family were individual cakes which went over big.  

Coal

February 23, 1948:  Three ton of Stoker coal delivered.  The price of coal is certainly going up. $14.95 per ton.  Was $8.00 four years ago.  

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

Memorial Day Picnic

May 30, 1948:  The whole family got together and cleaned up the yard. It is quite a job and will have to finish tomorrow. After our hard work, we had a lovely picnic in the backyard--our first this year.

Shingles  (The Dufours added shingle siding over the clapboards of 5125 East Michigan Street)

June 2, 1948:  Men putting shingles on house had to stop on account of shortage of materials...

June 9, 1948:  One week later and the job on the house is still incomplete.  

June 16, 1948:  Another week and still the job on the house is incomplete.  

5125 East Michigan Street in 1947

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

5125 East Michigan Street in 1948

Baptism Celebration for Christopher Dufour

November 14, 1948:  Christopher was baptized! Julie and Bryan Grotegut (5135 Ohmer Avenue) are his godparents. Father Beechum (Joseph Beechum) baptized him at 2:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Father Beechum was our guest at dinner which everyone seemed to enjoy. The menu was:

     Roast Prime Rib of Beef
       Mashed potatoes and gravy
         Pear Nut, cherry, and lettuce salad
            Broccoli with cheese sauce
              Harvard Beets
                 Cornbread and butter
                    Chiffon Parfait Cake 
                        Coffee

Snowstorm

December 18, 1948:  Came home through several inches of snow. It came down suddenly and furiously. Everything looks just beautiful in this typical winter wonderland. It is our first real snowstorm this year. Daddy had the tree up when we got home. 

The photos and use of Mrs. Dufour's journal entries are courtesy of the Dufour family.  Stay tuned for more journal entries as the family moved to 53 North Audubon Road.

The Dufour Family Moves to Indianapolis

The Dufour family name is well-known on the east side of Indianapolis because of a lovely cafe that sits on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Audubon Road.  The family has been an important part of the Irvington community since 1940. Lawrence  and Carmella (Nell) Dufour met in Chicago and married there in 1935.  In 1939, the couple moved to Indianapolis on Guilford Avenue in Broad Ripple. Mr. Dufour was employed as a salesman.  By 1940, the couple had two small children so they rented a bungalow at 4003 Brookville Road. Soon that house had become too small so the Dufours, who now had four children, moved to 738 North Dequincy Street in Emerson Heights in 1942.

By the early 1940s, Mr. Dufour was established as a salesman of kitchen supplies for the Albert Pick Company. He helped firms, schools, hospitals, and non-profits with the designs of their kitchens. He spent much of his week traveling down the highways of Indiana from one city to the next selling stainless steel tables, cabinets, and industrial appliances. When he was home, he often worked at the dining room table creating blueprints, drawings, or plans.  His wife, Nell, would not only keep their growing family out of the dining room while Mr. Dufour worked, but she also typed up the quotes.

The Dequincy Street home would be the first of three houses that the Dufours owned. They paid $30 a month for their mortgage. While living in the house, the family attended Little Flower Catholic Church, but by the mid-1940s they would find their forever church with Our Lady of Lourdes on East Washington Street.  The Dufours would in total have ten children so there was always a great necessity of finding a larger house. Furthermore, Mr. and Mrs. Dufour occasionally took in families or people who needed a home.

With the start of World War II, Mr. Dufour attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army, but officials turned him down due to his blood pressure issues and the number of children he had. Instead, he became a local air raid warden for the Emerson Heights area. His job was to make sure that local neighbors turned off lights or at least shut their curtains so that would-be bombers wouldn't see the city during drills. In 1945, the growing Dufour family moved to 5125 East Michigan Street in the Pleasanton section of Irvington.

Stay tuned as more posts will be coming on this interesting Irvington family.

Lawrence and Carmella Rose Dufour were married in Chicago on May 18, 1935.

Growing Family:  Lawrence and Nell Dufour posed with their four children at that time (Lenore, Daniel, Sussanne, and Richard) on the front steps at 738 North Dequincy Street c1945. 

Proud Papa:  Lawrence Dufour posed with Lenore, Daniel, Richard, and Sussanne Dufour on their front steps at 738 North Dequincy Street c1945.  

738 North Dequincy Street in 2015.

The historic photos and stories are courtesy of the Dufour family.

Poplar Road--1937 and 1945

Previous posts revealed images of Poplar Road in the 1920s. By the 1940s, you will note that the trees had matured and that some of the same families still called the neighborhood home twenty years later. The Schneiders first moved into 327 Poplar Road in 1923. They would remain until the 1970s. By the 1940s, the Schneiders welcomed their first grandchild to Poplar Road.

In the top photo, extended family members gather along the southside of the Schneider home on Christmas Day in 1937. In the second photo, William Schneider appears to be handing something to his grandson, Bill Ferling, in April of 1945. Behind them, you can see 333, 337, and 339 Poplar Road. In the bottom photo, Bill Ferling takes a ride down Poplar Road on his tricycle. It looks like this photo was taken on the same day in April of 1945. Many houses along the east side of Poplar can be seen in this photo. The historic images are courtesy of Bill Ferling.

Poplar Road Scenes--1925/1926/1935

Poplar Road winds through the small enclave of Pleasanton in western Irvington. The street cuts through the center of the neighborhood and intersects with Maple and Norway. Although the subject of the photos is usually Evelyn Schneider of 327 Poplar Road, you can get a glimpse of several other houses north of the Schneider home. All of the homes visible in today's post are bungalows and sit at 327, 333, 337, and 339 Poplar Road.

In the top photo, Evelyn Schneider poses with her doll. Behind her, you can see the newly built house at 333 Poplar Road. In second photo, taken around 1925, Evelyn poses with a neighborhood cat after a snowfall. She is sitting in front of her childhood home at 327 Poplar Road.

In the third photo, Evelyn Schneider poses with her good friend Virginia Buddenbaum after a snowstorm. The residents along Poplar Road have already done their civic duty and shoveled the sidewalks. The photo was likely taken around 1926. Behind the girls, you can see 333, 337, and 339 Poplar Road. In the bottom photo likely shot around 1935, a taller Evelyn Schneider plays with her dog "Gobi." Behind her, you have a nice view of 333 Poplar Road. The historic images are courtesy of Bill Ferling.

Pleasanton was not originally included within Irvington's National Register boundaries in 1987, but it should have been. That oversight has been rectified and it is now included as of 2010. Dan Marshall, a Pleasanton resident, is compiling a history of the neighborhood. Drop him an e-mail if your family has lived here as he would love to hear from you. Dan may be contacted at irv1870@yahoo.com.

Fun Ride With a Goat! 1925

Little Evelyn Schneider of 327 Poplar Road enjoys her ride in a wagon being pulled by a goat. An entrepreneur likely brought the goat into the neighborhood and offered families the chance to get their photo taken with the animal. Evelyn clearly enjoyed the experience. The Schneiders dwelled in a lovely bungalow in the Pleasanton section of Irvington. You may learn more about this family by clicking on the link below. The historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling.

Two Early Views of Pleasanton--1923

These historic photographs reveal an emerging neighborhood in 1923. Pleasanton had only begun as a development only a few years prior to these snapshots. One of the earliest families to call Pleasanton home were the Schneiders. They dwelled at 327 Poplar Road for decades. The home appears to have been built by Samuel Montgomery, who also saw to the construction of two other homes along the street.

In the top photo, little Evelyn Schneider enjoys the snow. Behind her sit vacant lots that would later host several homes along Poplar Road and Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. The two houses visible in the background are 341 Poplar (built by Samuel Montgomery) and 5246 Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. I have included that same view in 2012. I have also included a contemporary view of the stately brick American Four Square at 5246 Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive.

In the second historic photo, you will see Evelyn standing in front of her home at 327 Poplar Road with her mother, Myrtle Schneider, and aunt looking on. The two houses behind the women are the rear views of 5224 and 5228 Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1923. Although the rooflines are different, you will note that the houses are surprisingly similar. I have included a street view of those two homes in 2012 so that you can see the same is true of the front of the dwellings as well. The main entrance to both homes is on the south side away from the street. The historic images are courtesy of Bill Ferling.

Dan Marshall, a Pleasanton resident, is compiling a history of the neighborhood. If you have any interesting stories or photos please contact him at irv1870@yahoo.com . (You can clearly see that he is an Irvington historian with this e-mail!) More photos of this charming section of Irvington will be forthcoming.

Welcome to Pleasanton!

One of the best kept secrets in Irvington is the beautiful little enclave of Pleasanton located east of Emerson and south of Michigan Street. Platted in 1915 by William Alexander Ketcham, the neighborhood has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Ketcham's plat mirrored Irvington's street design with curving avenues and the planting of shade trees. The housing stock is quite diverse with American Four Squares, bungalows, and various revival styles. Most of the housing went up in the early and mid-1920s. Today the neighborhood is fortunate to have reproduction street lights that add to the charm. In the coming days, you shall see several historic views of this interesting neighborhood. Dan Marshall, a Pleasanton resident, has begun to document the history of the neighborhood. More details on that project will also be posted.

The only historic image for today is that of Evelyn Schneider, who is standing in front of her childhood at 327 Poplar Road in 1925. The Schneiders lived in that bungalow for decades. The historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling.

The contemporary images were taken on February 20, 2012.

Sledding in Ellenberger Park--1925

William Schneider and his daughter, Evelyn, pose for a photo in 1925 towards the bottom of the Ellenberger Park sledding hill. The Schneiders had recently moved into their newly-built home at 327 Poplar Road in the Pleasanton section of Irvington. The family could have easily walked to the park from their house. This historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling.

A Bike Ride Through Irvington--1937

Evelyn Scheider, the daughter of William and Myrtle Schneider, grew up in the Pleasanton section of Irvington at 327 Poplar Road. This lovely part of the neighborhood is just east of Emerson Avenue, one block north of East New York Street, and just south of Michigan Street. In this photo, Evelyn at the far left, poses with her friends just as they begin to embark on a bike ride on June 12, 1937. We have the first names of the young women, but not the last names so if you recognize anyone please let us to know. Besides Evelyn, they are listed as Vera, Mary Jean, Kathryn, Wanda, and Phyllis. Both houses in the photo are standing and are now part of the Pleasanton National Register Historic District. This wonderful photo is courtesy of Bill Ferling.