Mary Pulver Stevenson in the late 1930s

Mary Pulver eloped with Robert Stevenson in 1909. The couple eventually settled in Irvington and dwelled in three separate houses together. In 1915, they adopted Robert's ten-year-old nephew, Edward Lollis. The family dwelled at 275 South Audubon Road, 5698 East Washington Street (demolished), and in their final home together at 56 South Irvington Avenue. Mr. Stevenson died in 1939. We do not know the occasion for this photo, but Mrs. Stevenson posed for the snapshot sometime in the late 1930s. Behind her, you can see Julian Avenue when it was a brick street and also the rear of IPS #57.  If you look closely, you can also see some residences along South Ritter Avenue in the distance.  After her husband's passing, Mrs. Stevenson moved to 112 Johnson Avenue where she remained for many years. She taught Sunday school at the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  You may read more about the Stevenson or Lollis family by clicking on the links below.  

Mary Pulver Stevenson (1884-1969) posed for  this image sometime in the late 1930s in her front yard at 56 South Irvington Avenue. Behind her, you can see School #57 and homes along South Ritter Avenue.  

This photo is courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Snapshot from 1915 Reveals University Avenue Double

Edward Lollis had only recently moved in with his Uncle Robert and Aunt Mary Stevenson in 1915 at their home at 275 South Audubon Road when this photograph was snapped in the Stevenson's backyard. Young Edward, dressed up in costume, stood near the family garage. Behind him, you can see the rear of 5727 and 5729 University Avenue, a double that had only recently been constructed. The Lollis and Stevenson family is well-documented on this page. Click on the links below to learn more those interesting families.

John and Ida Battenfeld dwelled on the 5727 side of the double in 1915. They had already lived there for two years and would continue to do so for another eighteen years. Mr. Battenfeld was a buyer for the Wm. H. Block's Department Store at the time. They had no children. On the other at 5729, resided John and Louise Isaacs. They had three children, Mildred, Coleman, and John, Jr. Mr. Isaacs sold Ford Automobiles at a dealership in the 1300 block of East Washington Street. The Isaacs quickly outgrew the double and were gone by 1917.

Edward Lollis posed in the backyard of his new home at 275 South Audubon Road in 1915. Behind him, you can see the rear of the double at 5727-29 University Avenue.

The historic photograph is courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

South Audubon Road a Century Ago

Sometime in 1915 a young Edward Lollis posed along the front walk of his home at 275 South Audubon Road.  He had come to live with his Uncle Robert and Aunt Mary Stevenson in that year.  Behind him, you can see the southern edge of the Irving Circle Park. The most visible house in the photo is located at 240 South Audubon Road. Elizabeth Hadley, the widow of William Hadley, dwelled in the home at the time that this photo was taken. Edward grew up in the neighborhood and spent most of the remainder of his life in Irvington along Julian Avenue. To learn more about the Lollis or Stevenson families, click on the links below.

Edward Lollis in front of 275 South Audubon Road in 1915

South Audubon Road scene in 2016

240 South Audubon Road in 2016

 The historic image is courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

East Washington Street and Audubon Road in 1924

Sometime in the late fall or early winter of 1924 an unidentified Butler University sorority girl who dwelled at 5657 East Washington Street stopped to pose for this photograph. She had been sweeping the walk. Behind her you can see the grand home that used to stand at 5698 East Washington Street. The Stevenson family lived in the large house at the time. In three years, the Stevenson residence would be demolished for a commercial strip that still stands in 2016. The Kappa Kappa Gamma House where the young woman stood was also later razed.

A Kappa Kappa Gamma member posed in front of the chapter home in 1924. Behind her you can see the residence of Robert and Mary Stevenson at 5698 East Washington Street. (Photo: Butler Drift, 1924) 

Robert and Mary Stevenson purchased this home in 1918. To learn more about this history of this former Irvington dwelling click on the Stevenson link below. It was demolished in 1927.

This beautiful home at 5657 East Washington Street briefly served as the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority House in the 1920s. It was razed in 1945. (Photo: Butler Drift, 1924)

5600 block of East Washington Street in 2016

The historic image of the Stevenson home is courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

South Audubon Road Scenes--1940s

Carrold and Blanche Bastin Stevenson leased a double at 72 South Audubon Road from 1943 until 1951. Mr. Stevenson was a pipe fitter and later a foreman for the New York Central System Rail. The Stevensons had extended family members living in Irvington. They would eventually move to Euclid Avenue just west of the neighborhood. Photos likely taken by Mary Stevenson of 112 Johnson Avenue not only show family members, but also nearby houses. Joanne Stevenson, the daughter of Carrold and Blanche Stevenson, was the subject of many of the photos. Another family member, Ted Lollis, who lived at 5866 Julian Avenue, can be see with Jerry Land. Behind the boys you can see the Layman mansion at 29 South Audubon Road as well as homes at 55 and 61 South Audubon Road.

Jerry Land and Ted Lollis stood on the sidewalk of 72 South Audubon Road c1944. Behind them, you can see the Layman mansion at 29 South Audubon Road and the Westover home at 55 South Audubon Road. In the distance you can see the Audubon Court Apartments. 

Betrand Jonathan and Maude Darnell Westover moved into this beautiful home at 55 South Audubon Road in 1924. Other families had dwelled there like the Gordons and Duwars, but the Westovers remained until 1970. The couple raised their two children here and in 1943 they carved the grand home up into at least four apartments. They named the house the Westover Apartments and they moved into a downstairs unit. While the abode began as a single family residence, it has been home to apartment dwellers for most of its existence.  

Carole Sue Stevenson of 72 South Audubon Road posed in the front yard c1948. Behind her you can see the house at 61 South Audubon Road.  

Joanne Stevenson posed (on the right) with a friend c1948 in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can see the homes at 61 and 55 South Audubon Road. You can also see an open lot where 63-65 South Audubon Road sits today. 

Pliny and Maud Wolfard were not the first to dwell at 61 South Audubon Road, but they certainly lived here a long time. The Wolfards set up housekeeping at this residence in 1930 along with their two children, Margaret and Philip.  Mr. Wolfard passed away first, but Mrs. Wolfard continued to dwell in the bungalow until 1967.   

Joanne Stevenson in her Girl Scouts uniform posed for this photo c1944 in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Towering trees spanned the street during this era. 

Joanne Stevenson held her sister, Carole Sue Stevenson c1947, in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can see the open lot of what today houses a small brick double at 63-65 South Audubon.  

Joanne Stevenson posed with her sister, Carole Sue, c1947, in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can somewhat see the front porches at 68 and 60 South Audubon Road.

Ennis Stevenson, the brother to Carrold Stevenson, posed for this photograph c1944 along the front sidewalk of the Stevenson home at 72 South Audubon Road. Behind him, you can see the brick bungalow at 69 South Audubon Road (formerly numbered 65 South Audubon Road). Many families had dwelled in that home by the 1940s.  In 1944 the Rumrills lived there. Mr. Rumrill was "traffic motorman."  Mrs. Rumrill continued to reside at that corner as a widow for many years. Note the wonderful street light on the corner!  

69 South Audubon Road in 2015

The American Four Square double at 72 South Audubon Road and 5654 Julian Avenue in 2015

    To learn more about the extended Stevenson/Lollis or Layman family click on the links below. The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Neighborhood Scenes at the Intersection of Johnson and Julian Avenues--1940s and 1950s

The sleepy intersection of Julian and Johnson Avenue comes alive each Sunday as members of the Irvington Presbyterian Church arrive for services.  The narrow and winding streets have hosted hundreds of residents over the years.  Johnson Avenue dead-ended into the Pennsylvania Railroad. By the mid-twentieth century, city officials deemed Julian Avenue a one-way street.  On warm summer nights, residents who opened their windows or slept out on second-floor sleeping porches could hear both the traffic along East Washington Street and the sounds of trains along the nearby rail line. The widow, Mary Pulver Stevenson, photographed friends and family who came to see her at 112 Johnson Avenue and as a result she also documented her surroundings. Color photographs, taken in the early 1950s show her beautiful backyard flower garden.

An unidentified woman stood in the side tree lawn of 5603 Julian Avenue c1943

Edward Lollis, the nephew of Mary Stevenson, stopped by for a visit c1952 in front of 112 Johnson Avenue in his 1948 Buick Roadmaster.  Behind him you can see the side of 5603 Julian Avenue and the Irvington Presbyterian Church. If you look closely you can his son Ted and his wife Georgia May Lollis in the car. 

Unidentified ladies stood in the yard of 112 Johnson Avenue. Behind them you can see the rear of 5543 Julian Avenue and the Irvington Presbyterian c1945.

Mary Pulver Stevenson posed for this photograph in her front yard at 112 Johnson Avenue. Behind her you can see the rear of 5543 Julian Avenue c1945.  

Boarder, Lois Omer, posed with homeowner, Mary Stevenson, in the backyard of 112 Johnson Avenue in 1953. Miss Omer worked nearby at the Missions Building on Downey Avenue. (Photographer Ted Lollis) 

Lois Omer stood in the backyard of 112 Johnson Avenue in 1953. Behind her, you can see the lovely flower garden and 104 Johnson Avenue which had been sheathed in Insulbrick by the mid-twentieth century. (Photographer Ted Lollis)

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

A Gathering By the Stoop at 112 Johnson Avenue

Mary Pulver Stevenson moved into her ailing mother's home at 112 Johnson Avenue in 1941.  Ohio Pulver would not live to see the end of year.  Finding herself a widow and now without her parents, Mrs. Stevenson leased rooms at her Johnson Avenue dwelling. Since she did not drive, she also rented out the garage along the alley. When family or visitors stopped by to see her, she often asked them to pose on the front stoop for a photograph to document the occasion.  Her photo album is filled with people--often the same family members--perched or leaning on that front stoop.  Mrs. Stevenson passed away in 1969.

Ohio Pulver, the mother of Mary Pulver Stevenson, posed on one of the front porch stoops at 112 Johnson Avenue c1925.  The Pulvers first moved into the home in 1923. Mrs. Pulver died in 1941.  

Edward Pulver posed on the front porch stoop at 112 Johnson Avenue c1925 for his daughter, Mary Pulver Stevenson. Edward Pulver passed away in 1936 at his Irvington home. 

To make ends meet, Mary Pulver Stevenson (left) leased rooms.  Lois Omer (right) was one of her long-time boarders. They posed for this photograph c1948.  

Unidentified young ladies stopped by to visit Mary Stevenson at 112 Johnson Avenue c1945.  

A pensive Ted Lollis posed atop the front porch stoop at 112 Johnson Avenue for his Aunt Mary Stevenson c1948. Ted lived east of his Aunt Mary along Julian Avenue and he was a frequent visitor to her home.  

The front porch stoop at 112 Johnson Avenue is all but a ruin in 2015 as the home is in need of a serious renovation.

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

The Pulvers Move to Johnson Avenue

Edward and Ohio Snider Pulver decided to move to Irvington in 1923 to be near their only child, Mary Pulver Stevenson.  The Pulvers hailed from Piper City, Illinois and purchased a modest two-story home at 112 Johnson Avenue from Gustave Breuninger. Mr. Pulver, a retired Colonel,  had fought in the Third Calvary Regiment for the U.S. Government in the Indian Wars in Nebraska.  He was also an active Mason. The Pulvers were members of the Irvington Presbyterian Church and merely had to walk across the street to attend church each Sunday.  Mr. Pulver died in 1936 and Mrs. Pulver passed away in 1941.  Their daughter, Mary Pulver Stevenson a widow, moved into the Johnson Avenue home in 1941 and remained there for two decades.

Edward Pulver stood in the front yard of 112 Johnson Avenue c1925. Behind him, you can see the older Irvington Presbyterian Church that predated the current structure.  

Edward and Ohio Pulver relaxed in their living room at 112 Johnson Avenue c1925. The photo was most likely taken by their daughter, Mary Pulver Stevenson.  

112 Johnson Avenue in 2015

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.

The Stevensons Spend Their Final Years Together

Robert E. and Mary Pulver Stevenson moved into 56 South Irvington Avenue in 1932 along with their nephew, Edward Lollis.  Mr. Stevenson busied himself with various projects and ideas for new business adventures.  He had received a patent in 1912 for a water softener and he had tried to raise the capital for a dam along the Eel River in Putnam and Owen Counties.  He "read law" as a young man and became an attorney.  He was involved with the Scottish Rite.  Many top businessmen in the city networked in social clubs like the Masons.  Mrs. Stevenson was active at the Irvington Presbyterian Church and she likely looked after her elderly parents who dwelled nearby at 112 Johnson Avenue.  Young Edward Lollis had graduated from the Indiana Law School in 1930. To supplement his income while completing his coursework, Edward worked at the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store at 5440 East Washington Street and then at an all-night filling station at East Washington Street and Southeastern Avenue. He later worked for the Bobbs-Merrill Company before moving on to American States Insurance, a company where he worked for decades.  He left home in 1933 to marry although he stayed close to his Aunt and Uncle.

On November 1, 1939, Mary Stevenson's world changed dramatically when her sixty-five-year-old husband died suddenly.  Life must have been a blur for her as she had lost her father three years earlier.  Mrs. Stevenson and her nephew Edward held the funeral for Robert E. Stevenson at 56 South Irvington Avenue on November 3, 1939.  Mrs. Stevenson could not live in such a large house by herself so she moved in with her mother at 112 Johnson Avenue in 1941.  She would never remarry.

Mary Stevenson posed for a photo in 1937 before getting into Robert Stevenson's 1934  Cadillac. Behind her you can see the residences located at 21, 23, and 25-27 South Irvington Avenue.  

Going for a Drive:  Robert E. Stevenson pulled into the driveway of 56 South Irvington Avenue in 1935. Behind him, you can see the double at 25-27 South Irvington Avenue.  

Robert E. Stevenson proudly posed next to his 1934 Cadillac along South Irvington Avenue in 1937. Behind him, you can see 52, 28, 24, 22, and 18 South Irvington Avenue.  (some of those houses are no longer standing)

Edward Lollis, the nephew and ward of Robert and Mary Stevenson, graduated from Butler University in 1927 and the Indiana Law School in 1930. He lived with the Stevensons until his marriage in 1933.  

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Snowfall Along Julian Avenue--1937

In the winter of 1937, Mary Stevenson of 56 South Irvington Avenue peered out her window and noticed a beautiful scene as snow had just fallen. She grabbed her camera and went out onto the front porch and snapped one photo.  Then she ventured out into her yard and took another.  In the top photo, a young boy can be seen in front of 5451 Julian Avenue.  It is possible that it might have been five-year-old Harry Fox, Jr. who dwelled in that house.  His father, Harry Fox, Sr., was Vice President of Fox Optical Company.  His mother Mabel stayed home and raised his other siblings, Mary Ellen, Dorothy,  Anna, Jane, and Joan.   Next door at 5457 Julian Avenue dwelled  his elderly neighbors, Edgar and Harriett Perkins.  Mr. Perkins still served as a judge although he was old enough to retire. You can also see the rear of the homes along South Ritter Avenue.

In the second photo, Mrs. Stevenson aimed her camera at the back of IPS #57.  Were children in session on that day or did she take the photo on a weekend? The home at the far left was a double at 25-27 South Irvington Avenue.  Verner E. Sprouse lived on one side while Bernard and Mary Callon dwelled on the other.

Beautiful Snow:  Mary Stevenson snapped this photo from her home at 56 South Irvington Avenue of the 5400 block of Julian Avenue in the winter of 1937.  

The rear of IPS #57 and part of 25-27 South Irvington Avenue can be seen in this photo snapped by Mary Stevenson (56 South Irvington Avenue) in the winter of 1937.  

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Snookie the Cat

She posed regally and patiently for the photographer, Mary Stevenson, in 1937. Snookie, a much-loved feline, dwelled within the confines of 56 South Irvington Avenue and later at 112 Johnson Avenue. Princess Snookie has been gone for seventy years, but her spirit has been resurrected for today's post. Welcome back, Snookie!!

Snookie posed atop a stool at 56 South Irvington Avenue in 1937

Regal Snookie stood atop her stoop at 56 South Irvington Avenue to view her kingdom in 1937

Mary Stevenson held her beloved Snookie c1941 at 112 Johnson Avenue

 The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Life Along Irvington Avenue in the 1930s

Robert E. and Mary Stevenson along with their nephew, Edward Lollis, moved into 56 South Irvington Avenue in 1932.  The family had been dwelling in a grand house along Washington Street, but they sold that house in 1928 and lived in a few other homes in Irvington before finally settling down once again.  The Depression had not been kind to the Stevensons, but they managed to put together enough money to buy the large house at the intersection of Julian and Irvington Avenues. Young Edward had graduated from Butler University in 1927.  He had wanted to attend Purdue University and did so for one year, but his Uncle Robert told him that there was no more money for Purdue so he came home and majored in mathematics at Butler.  Mr. Lollis then enrolled and graduated from law school.

Mary Stevenson's parents, Edward and Ohio Pulver, lived nearby at 112 Johnson Avenue. Within a very short amount of time, however, Mrs. Stevenson would lose both her father and husband.  Her comfortable world was about to change dramatically.

Shortly after moving into 56 South Irvington, Mary Stevenson grabbed her trusty camera and documented the home and the nearby neighborhood.  She was clearly house proud and once again had a fine home for her beautiful grand piano.

56 South Irvington Avenue c1933

Ohio Pulver visited her daughter, Mary Stevenson, at 56 South Irvington Avenue c1935.  Note the beautiful spirea behind her.  Many Irvington residents planted this lovely bush next to their homes.  

Beautiful flowers next to 56 South Irvington Avenue c1935

Mary Stevenson's grand piano sat in the parlor at 56 South Irvington Avenue c1935

To the point:  The front yard at 56 South Irvington Avenue c1935. Beyond the beautiful hedge you can see homes along Julian Avenue towards Ritter Avenue.  

56 South Irvington Avenue has been altered over the years. It was eventually carved into at least four apartments. Sometime in the mid-twentieth century, a landlord added faux stone.  Vinyl siding now covers the clapboard. (Photo by Bill Gulde in 2015)

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.