Whittier Place in the Early 20th Century

      After the city of Indianapolis extended Whittier Place from Lowell Avenue to the corporation line (later Pleasant Run Parkway) in 1902, many couples and families moved into brand new homes along the street. Early twentieth-century photos from the Hackleman family, who resided at 5438 Lowell Avenue documented some of the families and homes in the area. 

321 North Whittier Place

     In December of 1909, a local attorney named Samuel W. Huls purchased a lot on Whittier Place to build a house, most likely on speculation. In January of 1910, he took out a building permit and constructed a new home at 321 North Whittier Place for $2,500. Another local attorney named Louis A. Robertson purchased the new residence from Huls. Perhaps Mr. Robertson was preparing for his future as he married Mary Josephine Delker on October 11, 1911. Soon the couple welcomed several sons into the world and remained in the two-story home for many years. Shortly after the completion of the house the Hackleman girls, who lived at 5438 Lowell Avenue, posed for photographs in their backyard. Behind the girls, you can see the Robertson home and other dwellings in the 300 block of North Whittier Place. 

Grace Hackleman posed with her doll c1911 near her home at 5438 Lowell Avenue. Behind her you can see the Robertson house at 321 North Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Florence Hackleman (on left) and her sister Grace Hackleman (middle) posed with a neighbor girl c1911. Behind the kids you can see the carriage house that used to sit behind 5438 Lowell Avenue and the Robertson home at 321 North Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Little Gladys Hackleman posed with her doll c1910. Behind her you can see several houses on the east side of the 300 block of North Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Grace Hackleman posed with her doll c1910. Behind her you can see several houses on the east side of the 300 block of Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

321 North Whittier Place on January 26, 2022

325 North Whittier Place

     In the summer of 1908, Clyde E. Springer, a contractor, took out a building permit on behalf of Sarah I. Bonar, a widow, to build 325 North Whittier Place. The unusual residence, built at a cost of $2000 was a blend of the shingle and Arts and Crafts styles. Mrs. Bonar and her widowed sister, Luthera Parr, along with other family members moved into the place in late 1908. The sisters only stayed in the home for three years before selling it to the Lawson family in 1911. 

A young girl posed with a boy who is holding a tennis racket c1912. Behind the kids, you can see 325 North Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

325 North Whittier Place on January 26, 2022

333 North Whittier Place

    Edward and Madeline Hind moved into 333 N. Whittier Place in 1905. The couple had five children. Mr. Hind was involved in the fruit business. The house has one of the most unusual front porches in the city of Indianapolis. Photos from the descendants of the Hinds reveal that the field-stone porch was not original to the residence but was added by Mr. Hind in the autumn of 1914. Images from two separate collections reveal the changes to the residence. 

     

Edward O. Hind, Sr. posed with his two youngest children, Edward, Jr. and Theodore in front of their home at 333 North Whittier Place on February 21, 1909. Mr. Hind had not yet added his fanciful stone porch. (photo courtesy of Linda Goff via Ancestry.com) 

Edward O. Hind, Sr. posed with his children, Edward, Jr., Theodore, and Madeline on February 21, 1909 in front of their home at 333 North Whittier Place. (photo courtesy of Linda Goff via Ancestry.com) 

An unknown young woman, possibly Florence Hackleman, posed with her bike in front of the Hind family home at 333 North Whittier Place c1914. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

Florence Hackleman (middle) stands next to two friends at 333 North Whittier Place c1914. The other girls might be Edna and Madeline Hind who lived at the house. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

A young girl in a costume posed on the front porch at 333 North Whittier Place c1914. The Hind family lived at that address for many years. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon) 

A young girl posed in front of the Hind family home at 333 North Whittier Place c1914. (photo courtesy of Anne Gribble Spurgeon)

333 North Whittier Place on January 26, 2022

     I wish to thank Anne Gribble Spurgeon for the use of her incredible family photo collection. I also want to thank Lisa Abner for her research on 325 North Whittier Place. Paula Schmidt and Steve Barnett at the Irvington Historical Society helped me understand the early years of these three homes and Paul Diebold assisted me with understanding the architectural elements of 325 North Whittier Place. 

Irvington Historical Society

Sources: 321 North Whittier Place--Lou A. Robertson obituary--Indianapolis News, July 30, 1962; Mary Josephine Delker Robertson obituary, Indianapolis News, September 7, 1989; Lot sale--Indianapolis Star, December 25, 1909, 10; Building permit--Indianapolis Commercial, January 10, 1919, 3:5; 325 North Whittier Place--Building permit--Indianapolis Commercial, June 4, 1908, 4:6;   333 North Whittier Place--"For Rent," Indianapolis News. February 25, 1905, 22; Building permit to remodel--"Building Permits," Indianapolis Star, October 28, 1914, 12; I also used the 1910 Federal Census for all three homes along with Polk City Directories. 

Ellenberger Reunion 1914-- Repost With Names!

In 1914, the extended family of the Ellenbergers gathered for a reunion.  They sat for this formal portrait in front of the family farm house on East 10th Street.  (the home is still standing near the northeast corner of East 10th and Ritter Avemue)  The Ellenbergers owned acres of land and made money not only from their farm, but also by selling land for development for nearby Irvington.  The city of Indianapolis purchased nearly 31 acres of woods from the family for a future city park for $21,490 in 1910.

Four years later, the family gathered for this photo.  Thanks to one of our astute readers, we now have the names of several of the people in this photo.  I can only imagine how exciting it would be to stumble upon a photo of a long lost relative while doing genealogical research online!  In the 1970s and 1980s, the Irvington branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library conducted oral history interviews with long-time neighborhood residents.  One of those folks recorded was Thelma Murphy, who descended from the Ellenbergers.  She took the time to list the names of the people in this photo.  Thanks to Bob Alloway, I can now share these names with you.  Some of the people in this photo dwelled in the Irvington area.  I have included the addresses of those folks.

The Ellenberger clan gathered at 5602 East 10th Street for a family reunion in 1914.  See names below.

Front Row:
Lloyd White
Paul Gates
Rolland Dove
Jessie Brisentine

Second Row:

Annie White
Charles Shearer (farmer southside of East 10th Street, east of Emerson Avenue)
Mary Shearer (same as above)
John or Johann Ellenberger, the family patriarch
Eva Tingle
Jack Ellenberger
Ellen Ellenberger
Ellen Dove (219 South Butler Avenue)
Lee Dove (219 South Butler Avenue)

Third Row:

Stella Longest
Stella White Longest
Edith White
Goldie Shearer
Ethel Shearer
Jerry Tingle
Ruth Dove Stevenson

Fourth Row and Back Rows:

Annie Brisentine
John Brisentine
Flora Johnson
Doris Evoy
Goldie White Apple
Laura White
Bess Johnson
Addie Springer (southside of East 10th Street, just east of Arlington Avenue)
Bertha Wagner Irwin
Joseph Irwin
Bertha Brisentine
Cora Wagner Gates
Ed White
Flora Wagner Perkins
--- Ellenberger
Wife of Charles Ellenberger
Charles Ellenberger
---Moorhead
---Moorhead
---Moorhead

   You may read the transcripts from these interviews or listen to the actual recordings by visiting the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library homepage.  Miss Murphy's interview is linked here courtesy of Bob Alloway.

http://digitallibrary.imcpl.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/ioh/id/35/rec/1