Dispatch from the Ruhsenberger Family--1937

Ann Hart Stewart was one of the first contributors to this blog. Her grandparents, Charles and Hattie Ruhsenberger, resided at 5930 East Washington Street. Other relatives lived nearby on Burgess Avenue. Ann's photos and stories have chronicled life near the corner of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue. She contributed a fun story about a famous cat, who lived across street.  You may read more about her family by clicking the "Ruhsenberger" or "Stokesberry" links below. Recently, she found another historic photo of her family members snapped in 1937.

The Ruhsenbergers occasionally took breakfast picnics. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhsenberger had three children, Roger, Henrietta, and Patricia. Sometimes, the families would get up early and drive to Christian Park to enjoy the beauty of nature and each other's company.  They had to reserve a grill ahead of time for cooking. Not everyone loved the experience. A very young Ann Hart noted that she was not so keen to be up so early and away from the warmth of her kitchen at 5930 East Washington Street. The Ruhsenbergers are all now gone from Irvington and even their family home was demolished in 1957. Thankfully, folks like Ann Hart Stewart help us to remember.

Ruhsenberger Family Picnic at Christian Park in 1937: Pictured (top left to right) MaeClaire "Tottie" Whidden Ruhsenberger (1911-1981), Lt. jg. J. Roger Ruhsenberger (1900-1993), Charles  A. Ruhsenberger (1869-1959), Hattie Jones Ruhsenberger (1872-1973), Henrietta Ruhsenberger Hart (1896-1969),  Paul J. Hart (1899-1989) Bottom rows: Roger Henry Ruhsenberger (1932-2004), Ann Hart Stewart, Patricia Patricia Ruhsenberger Dillard (1910-1954) The photo was snapped by Larry J. Dillard (1930-1993)

The Ruhsenbergers resided in a beautiful Dutch Colonial Revival home at 5930 East Washington Street. The grand home was built in 1906. It was later demolished for a filling station on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue. 

Photos and stories for this post are courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart.

Birthday Celebration--1943

One of Irvington's lost intersections is that of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue.  Local families built beautiful homes on each corner.  With the need for filling stations, developers eventually demolished or altered all four corners throughout the mid-twentieth century.  On the northwest corner of that now forlorn gathering of streets, sat two regal homes at 5930 and 5934 East Washington Street.  The Ruhsenberger family occupied 5930 and thankfully one of our faithful readers, Ann Hart Stewart, has sent us several images of what the area used to look like.  Today, we are transported to March of 1943, when three cousins gathered to celebrate the birthdays for the girls--Ann Hart and Mary Ellen Stokesbery.  A third cousin, Larry Dillard, joined the party.  All three children shared the Ruhsenbergers as their grandparents and young Larry and Ann actually dwelled at 5930.  Mary Ellen could easily walk from her home at 352 Burgess Avenue.  It must have been a cool day as the children were wearing coats and sweaters.  The home most visible in the photo is that of 5934 East Washington Street, which actually stood on the corner.  To see more images from this interesting Irvington family, click on the Ruhsenberger link below.  This historic image is courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart, who just celebrated a milestone birthday.  Happy birthday, Ann!

Cousins--Larry Dillard, Ann Hart, and Mary Ellen Stokesberry gather for a birthday party at 5930 East Washington Street (demolished) in March, 1943.  Behind them you can also see 5934 East Washington Street. (demolished)

Chester Stokesberry Painting Survives Hurricane Katrina

Sometimes we receive notes from folks from all over the country. Recently, I received a query from Michael Hyde, who had questions about Chester Stokesberry, an Irvington artist who dwelled at 352 Burgess Avenue. Mr. Stokesberry was a prolific artist who specialized in oils of natural scenes although he also painted portraits.

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, Mr. Hyde reports that the storm struck a family member's home and the house went underwater as they lived twenty miles from the eye. Unfortunately, a painting by Chester Stokesberry titled "October" went under with the deluge. Thankfully, the family was able to save the painting.

The provenance of the painting is quite interesting. It appears to have been exhibited at a John Herron art show in 1955. Almost twenty years after its creation, the painting surfaced in a Michigan antique shop which is where Mr. Hyde's family found it in the early 1970s. After learning of the Vintage Irvington blog, he kindly took out his phone and snapped these two shots of the lovely painting. The images and stories are courtesy of Michael Hyde. You may learn more about the artist Chester Stokesberry by clicking on the family link below.

C.L. Stokesberry Painting

Chester L. Stokesberry (1895-1984) dwelled at 352 Burgess Avenue for decades. Mr. Stokesberry was one of the many talented artists to call Irvington home. While he specialized in landscapes, he also painted portraits. Relatives of Mr. Stokesberry have confirmed that the woman in the portrait is not his first or second wife. Much like the Mona Lisa, we shall just have speculate as to whom she might be. This painting was completed in 1933. You may learn more about the Stokesberry family by clicking on the link below.

Tea Time at an Irvington Cottage

The ladies of Burgess Avenue paused for a tea break in the backyard of Isadora Louiso Cannavan's home at 324 Burgess around 1944. Her daughter, Veta Cannavan Stokesberry lived nearby at 352 Burgess Avenue.  The leafy retreat provided a perfect respite on what appears to be a gloriously sunny Indiana day.

The people pictured in the historic image from left to right are: Veta Cannavan Stokesberry, May Louiso Markmeyer (her half-sister), Isadora Louiso Cannavan, and Mary Ellen Stokesberry. The young girl (Mary Ellen) seen in the photo graduated from Howe High School and now lives in Hawaii. The historic image is courtesy of Ann Stewart.

An Elegant Gathering at the Stokesberry Bungalow

This early color photo reveals an elegant birthday gathering at the Stokesberry Home at 352 Burgess Avenue. Veta Cannavan Stokesberry sits at the head of the table. Her husband, Chester likely took the picture. Sitting to Veta's right are Charles and Hattie Ruhsenberger of 5930 East Washington Street. Across the table are Isadora Louiso Cannavan (324 Burgess Avenue) and in shadow, May Louiso Markmeyer. The occasion was the birthday celebration of the two sisters Hattie and "Dora." In my attempt to make the photo larger, I have lost some of the resolution, but the photo still reveals so many interesting details. It was likely taken around 1945.

The table has a lace cloth over it and Veta Cannavan Stokesberry has pulled out lovely tea cups and plates for the event. You will also note the beautiful candles and delicious looking birthday cake. One of Chester Stokesberry's paintings hangs over the buffet in the dining room. It is also great to see the color of the wallpaper. This wonderful image is courtesy of Ann Stewart.

Birthday Gathering at the Stokesberry Bungalow at 352 Burgess Avenue

Sometime around 1937, Hattie Jones Ruhsensberger (1872-1973) and her sister Isadora Jones Louiso Cannavan (1868-1955) gathered in the living room at the home of Chester and Veta Cannavan (1905-1985) at 352 Burgess Avenue. Veta was the daughter of "Dora" and hosted the event. The two sisters had remained close over the years, and they loved to celebrate their January birthdays. Hattie dwelled at 5930 E. Washington Street and Dora lived in several places before moving to Irvington to be near her daughter and sister. Dora worked as midwife and upon her death in 1955, the local newspaper called her "an angel on horseback." She also attended wounded World War One veterans at a military hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. You may learn more about the Ruhsenberger family by following the link listed below.

Chester Stokesberry moved into this two-bedroom bungalow in 1927 with his first wife Marie. The home was only a year old at the time and was likely built by contractors Keith and Effie Stonehouse in 1925. The Indianapolis newspapers reported dozens of new bungalows for sale in the Irvington area in the mid-1920s. Most contained a long living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and one bath. Some like this one had a breakfast nook and built-in features next to the fireplace. After their marriage, Veta Cannavan Stokesberry took up residence and the Stokesberrys would live in this house until the 1980s.

Chester Stokesberry (1895-1984) was a jeweler, watchmaker, clockmaker, and an artist. Some of his work appeared at various exhibitions including at the John Herron Art Institute. His paintings are highly collectable in 2011. He specialized in landscape scenes. In the photo you can see two of his works on the walls of the Burgess Avenue bungalow. The Ellenberger Park painting hanging above the ladies in the photo eventually moved to the Ruhsenberger home and is still in the family's possession. The other three works featured on this post recently sold at a local art auction. The scene depicting snow is called "January Thaw." These paintings were completed in 1956.

Be sure to study the black and white photograph. Veta Stokesberry kept a beautiful home and she loved antiques. The exterior photo of the home was taken on July 24, 2011. The historic image and the stories are courtesy of Ann Stewart.

Children's Party (1938)--5930 East Washington St.

Although we are not close to Halloween, I could not resist posting this fun photograph. Children gathered at the Ruhsenberger home at 5930 East Washington St. in 1938 for a costume party. We may need help identifying some of the kids in the picture. We do know that Ann Hart (Stewart) is pictured second from the left in the front row. Larry Dillard, a cousin to Ann Hart, is the first child on the left in the top row. Larry also dwelled in the house. Their neighbor Bob Vial (20 N. Arlington) is the second child from the left in the top row. He is a wearing a World War One uniform.

Unfortunately, this home is no longer standing, (see previous posts) but we get a great view of the main parlor in the house. Note the beautiful fireplace, the Oriental rug on the floor, and the upright piano. The landscape painting hanging above the fireplace remains in the family. It was painted by Chester L. Stokesberry. Mr. Stokesberry, a cousin (once removed) to Ann Hart, was a watchmaker, jeweler, gunsmith, and an accomplished artist. He and his wife Veta Cannavan Stokesberry and his daughter Mary Ellen lived at 352 Burgess Avenue. The painting won a first prize ribbon at the Indiana State Fair in either 1932 or 1933. Be sure to look for the mantel clock on the fireplace as that piece also remains in the family as of 2011. The photo and the interesting information are courtesy of Ann Stewart.

Color Photo--Backyard, 5930 E. Washington St.

Henrietta Ruhsenberger Hart (1896-1969) stands next to her daughter Ann and her niece Mary Ellen Stokesberry in 1955. The Harts lived at 5930 E. Washington Street (no longer standing) and Miss Stokesberry dwelled on Burgess Avenue. Both Ann and Mary Ellen went on to have successful careers away from Irvington.

In this photo, the ladies stand in the backyard of 5930 E. Washington St. Behind them is 20 N. Arlington Avenue. (still standing). In the 1950s, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Vial lived in the Arlington Avenue bungalow with their son Bob. You can tell it was springtime as a flowering tree buds behind the women along the property line. This lovely image is counter to the present day parking lot in 2011, but perhaps in the future this lot shall be pretty again. A special thanks to Ann Stewart for providing this photo.