Lost Irvington: The Downey Home

      Several wealthy families resided in the grand home that used to sit at 5433 University Avenue from 1874 until 1929 including the Downeys, Goes, Thompsons, and Hibbens. The imposing two-story home complete with a tower sat on four acres of ground on the southeast corner of University and Downey Avenues. It has been gone for almost 100 years and nine smaller houses now occupy the site. A speculator, a banker, a grocer, an artist, a prominent teacher, and others all left their mark upon the residence. The deliberate demolition of a house like this seems impossible today, but the last owner, Mrs. Jessie Landon, likely saw dollar signs in the summer of 1929 since the place sat on such a large lot. Her timing, however, could not have been worse. Just as contractors reduced the home to rubble the country fell into the Great Depression. It would take twelve years before the area was redeveloped.  

The Downey Years (1874-1884) 

     James E. and Mary Julian Downey arrived in Irvington in 1871. In fact, they built the very first home in the new town in 1871 on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Audubon Road. Three years later, they built an even bigger home on what would become 5433 University Avenue in the Woodland Park Addition in 1874. Their timing, however, could not have been worse as an economic panic swept the United States and ruined the lives of many investors including the Downeys. The couple formally declared bankruptcy in 1878, but managed to keep their home and four acres of land for several more years before moving out of state. 

     Red-headed James E. Downey married Mary Julian in Centerville, Indiana. When Mary's father, Jacob Julian founded Irvington along with another investor named Sylvester Johnson, the Downeys followed the Julians to the new town of Irvington. Mary Julian Downey might be the only person in Indianapolis to have had two streets named after her family. She lived next to Downey Avenue and could walk two blocks to the north to walk down Julian Avenue. She loved her Julian name so much that she gave three of her sons that middle name and one of her sons received it as a first name. In total the couple would have eight children live into adulthood. She is also credited, along with her father, of naming the new community after her favorite author, Washington Irving. Joseph Robert Downey, the only son not to receive the Julian name, wrote about his life in 1950 and his memories of that house were published by the East Side Herald. 

      Joseph Downey described their wooded lot as full of beech, oak, maple, dogwood, and paw paw trees. He noted that his father, ever an entrepreneur, was both a "promoter and plunger" who was always trying to find ways to make money. Five-year-old Joseph nearly died in the house after he and his brothers slid down the steep staircase railing. He hit his head on the lowest newel post. One local doctor thought that he might not live, but he did. The Irvington years were some of the happiest in his life and their sudden departure from the town upset him greatly. 

     While Irvington was largely a peaceful place and far away from the problems of the city, it was not immune from crime. At 3:00AM on May 20, 1878, the Downeys were awakened by a noise inside the house. Mr. Downey rushed downstairs and saw two men in the darkness. One was crawling on his knees. Upon confronting the intruders, one of the men shot at Mr. Downey, but the bullet sailed over his head and into a wall. The thieves ran out of the house with some of the family silver. They were never caught. 

     With bills mounting, the Downeys welcomed boarders into their home. They were fortunate in that Butler University officials moved the campus from north of downtown Indianapolis and into Irvington. Some of those first tenants included students, but their most prominent renters were the Merrill sisters. Much has been been written about Catharine Merrill over the years. A beloved teacher, she made history, as one of the earliest female university professors in the United States. A brilliant woman, she lived in Europe from 1859 until 1861 where she studied German. In Ireland she witnessed beggars from the potato famine. In England, she visited a great exhibition featuring artwork by Joseph Turner. In Italy, she wrote about the efforts of people to unite that country just as her own country fell apart and into the Civil War. While living in the Downey home, Miss Merrill had access to the "western parlor" where she held salons every Thursday evening. Students, professors, and neighbors attended these events where there might be poetry readings, book discussions, or even games. Young Joseph Downey recalled sitting on the lap of Butler professor, David Starr Jordan, who drew various kinds of fish on a piece of paper for him. Miss Merrill's kindness towards the Downey children was never forgotten. After Miss Merrill retired from Butler University, she moved out of the Downey home. One year later, the Downeys also moved away. 

The 1889 map of Irvington shows the Downey Home on Lot 21 and facing Spratt Avenue (University Avenue)

Rocky Mountain News, September 1, 1914

Mina Merrill and Catharine Merrill (courtesy of the Indiana State Library Digital Collection)

The Rental Years (1884-1890)

     Columnist, Grace Julian Clarke, noted in one of her essays on Irvington that after the Downeys moved out of Irvington that a rental company took over the ownership of the home. As of this writing, we only know of one family who leased that house during these years, and we only learned about that fact very recently. 

     Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe leased 5433 University Avenue in 1888. Why do we know this fact? In the possession of the descendants of the Goes is another photograph of the Downey home. On the back of that photo, someone has written "birthplace of Percy Goe," one of the five children of Hezekiah and Cornelia. Mr. Goe earned a comfortable living as a grocer and opened up a business at 130 South Audubon Road. The couple soon built a beautiful residence of their own at 128 South Ritter Avenue. More will soon be written about that lovely home.  

  

Faded photograph of the Downey-Thompson-Goe-Hibben home c1915; The image was snapped during the Hibben-era by a member of the Goe family. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Percy Goe (1888-1921) was the fourth child of Hezekiah and Cornelia Goe. He was born at 5433 University Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

The Thompson Years (1890-1902)

     Edward and Mary Thompson along with their daughter, Bona, arrived in Irvington full of hope. All hailed from Edinburg, Indiana where Mr. Thompson became wealthy as a banker and from farming. They purchased the Downey home so that their only surviving child could attend nearby Butler University. By all accounts, she was a gifted student who won prizes for her speeches. While living in the house, the Thompsons added a new dining room, a kitchen with built-in cabinets, and a fruit-storage closet for canned foods. They enlarged the house by a story and a half complete with dormers in the roofline. The servants likely slept up there. They also lengthened the front tower. They added gas, electricity, and a shower. Their daughter would have a pleasant place in which to study and live.

      In 1897, Bona graduated from Butler University and then matriculated to Wellesley College. Mrs. Thompson had not been feeling well for some time. She thought a trip to Europe might lift her spirits and perhaps her health so she and Bona sailed across the ocean in 1899; however, the trip did not go as planned. While in Paris, it was Bona who started to feel unwell and not Mrs. Thompson. She seemed to rally and then they traveled to England, but once again Bona seemed to be suffering from something. The pair arrived back to the US to discover that Bona had contracted typhoid fever on their journey. She was not able to go back to Wellesley and could scarcely make it out of her bedroom in the large house on University Avenue. 

     Bona Thompson lingered for weeks before dying on October 12, 1899, at the age of 21. Their neighbor and friend, Dr. Allen R. Benton at 312 South Downey conducted the funeral service. Devastated by the loss of their only child, Edward and Mary donated land and thousands of dollars to Butler University for a new library. Mrs. Thompson grew sicker and watched from across the street as workers began building the new Bona Thompson Memorial Library, but she never lived to see it completed. Some folks in the neighborhood noted that she had died from heartbreak, but many others said that she wanted to live to see the completion of the library. She and her husband had even gone to Hot Springs, Arkansas in hopes of a respite in her health, but nothing worked and she died in the spring of 1902.  Dr. Allen R. Benton conducted the funeral service on April 16.  Six months later, Edward Thompson had a series of strokes and died on December 18, 1902. Dr. Benton once again led his third funeral at 5433 University Avenue. 

T.C. Steele painted a portrait of Bona Thompson from a photograph after her death. The original painting hangs at Butler University while a copy hangs at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library, currently the home of the Irvington Historical Society. 

Neither Edward nor Mary Thompson lived long enough to see the completion of the library named in their daughter's honor, but both knew that construction had started. The library is located at 5350 University Avenue and served Butler University students from 1903 until 1928. 

The Hibben Years (1903-1929)

     Thomas and Jane Hibben moved into the Downey home and immediately made significant changes to the residence. They not only enlarged the place,  but they also re-landscaped the property with stunning flower gardens. Mr. Hibben, whose family came from Rushville, Indiana, had made a fortune in the dry goods wholesale business. His father was a founder of the firm Hibben and Hollweg. Thomas joined the firm in 1900. It appears that one of his passions was art and he was considered one of the best etchers in the Midwest. With their comfortable income, the Hibbens purchased numerous paintings and etchings and filled their home with art. 

     Mrs. Hibben might have already known about the grand house as her Aunt Catharine Merrill had leased rooms from the Downeys in the late nineteenth century. Perhaps she visited the residence as a girl and might have witnessed a few of those Thursday-evening salons. The Hibbens were likely very proud of their children who all went on to achieve some impressive feats. By age 28, Paxton Hibben, served as a legate for the American delegation in the Netherlands. Their daughter, Helene, a future teacher, received commissions as a young woman as sculptress. Some of her bas reliefs of prominent Hoosiers are still around today.  Their son Thomas, Jr. became an architect and James became a chemist. Hazen served as teacher with her sister, Helene. 

     Thomas Hibben's sudden death in 1915 at the age of 54 shocked his family. His obituary ran on the front pages of the local newspapers. Mrs. Hibben died in 1920. Their daughters Helene and Hazen continued to live on in the house until 1929. The sisters operated an early pre-school for wealthier Irvington families where kids learned to speak some rudimentary French. In 1929, the women sold their home to Jessie Landon, one of the wealthiest women in Indianapolis. She and her husband Hugh lived at the former Eli Lilly mansion called Oldfields at the time. 

       Then, Mrs. Landon did something unthinkable for many Irvington residents. She bulldozed the Downey home in the summer of 1929. Why did she do it? Was she plotting a new development? Neighbors must have been very concerned since Butler University had just pulled out leaving many of the nearby buildings vacant. In the end, she did nothing with the property. She fell ill and died the following year. 

     A little over a decade later, contractors erected smaller homes on the once grand acreage. With World War II coming to a close, dozens of new families flocked to the site. 

(Indianapolis News, July 6, 1915, p. 1)

Thomas E. Hibben, Sr. was also a talented etcher. His work, Spanish Doorway, may be seen at the Irvington Historical Society. 

Helene sculpted a bas relief of James Whitcomb Riley. She also sculpted numerous other prominent Hoosiers of the early twentieth century. (Irvington Historical Society)

Indianapolis Star, August 18, 1928, p. 18

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for the photograph and new information about the Goes in the Downey Home. I also wish to thank Steve Barnett for his expertise and knowledge about the Downey Home. 

Sources;

Downey Era--Joseph R. Downey, Boyhood Days in Irvington, Irvington Historical Society, 1991 (first published by the East Side Herald in 1950); Bankruptcy--"In Bankruptcy," Indianapolis News, November 27, 1878, p. 4; Burglary--"Burglary," Indianapolis News, May 20, 1878, p. 1; Mr. Downey Obituary--Rocky Mountain News, September 1, 1914.

Catharine Merrill--Katharine Merrill Graydon, Catharine Merrill, Life and Letters, (Mitchell Publishing, 1934). 

Rental Years--Information on the back of a photograph provided by the Kingsbury family 

Thompson Era--US Census Records, 1900; "Miss Bona Thompson," Indianapolis News, October 13, 1899; Obituary for Mary Thompson--Franklin Democrat, April 18, 1902, p. 1; "Funeral of Edward C. Thompson," Indianapolis Journal, December 23, 1902, p. 3; 

Hibben Era--US Census Records, 1910 and 1920; History of Hibben School--"Hibben School Founded to Care for Children During Days of War," Indianapolis Star, August 23, 1931, p. 8; "Thomas E. Hibbens Dies at N.Y. Athletic Club," Indianapolis News, September 6, 1915, p. 1; "Mrs. Janie K. Hibben Dies," Indianapolis Star, October 17, 1920, p. 1.

General Overview--Grace Julian Clarke, "Some of 'Original' Irvington's History Recalled by House Razing," Indianapolis Star, May 26, 1929, p. 72; "Another Landmark Gone," Butler Alumni Quarterly, July 1929, pp. 79-80; Edward J. Hecker, Sr., "Old Irvington Residence Recalled," Irvington Review, December 12, 1940; Sheri Patterson, "Memories of Irvington Downey Home Recalled," Indy East, July 31, 1985, p. 1

Irvington Tragedy--1953

Not all was right in the formerly fashionable home at 5316 East Washington Street. Dr. Harold Bailey Cox and his third wife, Halene (sometimes spelled Helene) Wilson Cox, had been living in the stuccoed Mission-Revival American Four Square since their marriage in 1937. The couple welcomed Nedra Lucretia Cox into their lives in 1940. The home was perfect for Dr. Cox's family medical practice as patients could meet him downstairs while the family lived upstairs.

By 1953, Dr. Cox was seeing few patients as he was ailing. The sixty-eight-year-old physician was also dealing with another kind of sickness, the mental illness of his forty-year-old wife. Neighbors had noticed that the family had become quite reclusive. Few people ever went to the house and delivery men were asked to place parcels on the front porch. Then, on March 18, 1953, while working in his garage, Dr. Cox suffered a fatal heart attack. Halene Wilson Cox who seldom left her home, found her husband in the garage and dragged his body to the front porch. She then phoned a friend who was a physician, to check on Dr. Cox, but it was too late. While authorities found the scenario odd, no one was charged as he had clearly died of natural causes.

For the next eight months, conditions deteriorated in the Cox household.  Fourteen-year-old Nedra, who was supposed to be attending Arsenal Technical High School, failed to enroll. She remained inside the house although friends did say that over the summer of 1953 she showed up at Ellenberger Park. Few ever saw the mother-daughter team outside again. Over the years, Mrs. Cox had become a hoarder and her home was filled with refuse, boxes, and disorder. No one was ever allowed to come in. Worried about their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Hal Wilson of 569 Middle Drive Woodruff Place, stopped by on Sunday, November 1, 1953, but Mrs. Cox refused to allow them into the home. Nedra  spoke to her grandparents through a peep hole in the front door.

At 1:05AM the next day, Harold Hunt, of Greenfield, Indiana was driving eastbound on Washington Street when he noticed flames shooting out of a downstairs living room window at 5316 East Washington Street. He then saw Mrs. Cox screaming from a second floor bedroom window. Mr. Hunt phoned the fire department and Irvington firemen rushed to the scene.  While the first floor was engulfed in flames, the second floor was filled with smoke. Fireman, Errol Evans, climbed up a ladder and found Mrs. Cox slumped over the headboard of a bed. He managed to get her down with help from three other firemen named Arthur Lynn, William Gearns, and John Thompson. Then, the fireman found Nedra Cox on a bed and they brought her down as well.

Both women were carried next door and wrapped in blankets and given oxygen; however, it became apparent that both had been shot. Detectives rushed to the scene and found a house in chaos. As the last of the embers burned, detectives in the house noticed trash and even a decaying cat corpse inside the wrecked residence. Dr. Bailey had been a gun enthusiast and had given his daughter a .22 caliber pistol as a present before his death. Nedra apparently used the gun to shoot both her mother and herself.  Mrs. Cox had been shot in the chest and had been burned on her back although strangely her clothes were not burned. She must have changed before the firemen arrived.

Detectives had a hard time sorting through the strange story. Mrs. Cox was coherent and managed to tell investigators that Nedra had accidentally shot her and then killed herself. The next day the story was captured in lurid headlines in newspapers all over the state. Both the Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News seemed obsessed with Nedra's appearance and behavior. They called her "exotic" and "sultry." Reporters noted that she had worn bikinis in the summer and had grown immensely long fingernails. They seemed to have overlooked the major plot that a fourteen-year-old girl was trapped in a home with a mother who was clearly mentally ill. In the end, the county coroner ruled that Nedra had indeed shot her mother and then killed herself, but why did Mrs. Cox have burn marks on her back when the fire was on the first floor and she was on the second floor? Did she try to escape but then realized that she could not get out? Some aspects of this story will never be known.

Mrs. Cox eventually moved in with her parents in Woodruff Place. Sadly, she killed herself on July 8, 1954. The Cox home was torn down shortly after the fire and in 2019, the site serves as a parking lot for a medical facility.

Dr. Harold B. and Halene Cox along with their daughter, Nedra, resided at 5316 East Washington Street. Fourteen-year-old Nedra shot her mother and then herself. It is not known which of the women set the fire on the first floor. If you look closely, you can see Dr. Bailey's physician sign hanging on the front porch. He died eight months before the fire. (Image courtesy of Patrick Pearsey)

A fireman combs through a messy second-story bedroom. The house at 5316 East Washington Street was in complete disarray when the department arrived on the scene. Mrs. Cox appears to have been a hoarder and suffered from mental illness. (Image courtesy of Patrick Pearsey)

Nedra Lucretia Cox was fourteen years when she fired a shot at her mother and then took her own life. Local newspapers focused on her attire and looks. (Image courtesy of the Indianapolis Star, November 3, 1953)

A special thanks to Patrick Pearsey, who chronicles the history of the Indianapolis Police Department, for the images and links to the stories about the Cox tragedy. 

Sources: "Girl Set Fire to House, Shot to 'Escape?'" Columbus Republic, November 3, 1953, 1; "Exotic Irvington Girl Shot Mom, Committee Suicide, Police Theorize," Indianapolis Star, November 3, 1953, 1;  "Tests Hint Slain Girl Shot Recluse Mother," Indianapolis Star, November 4, 1953, 13; "Widow of Doctor Takes Own Life," Terre Haute Tribune, July 8, 1954, 2. "Dr. Harold B. Cox Found Dead in Garage at Home," Indianapolis Star, March 20, 1953, 9; "Dr Cox Wins Shoot with Perfect Score," Indianapolis Star, June 9, 1940, 38.

An Early Snowstorm--1938

Temperatures began to drop in Indiana on Tuesday, November 22, 1938. By nightfall the wind picked up and the snow arrived in Indianapolis.  By the morning of November 23, city residents awoke to four inches of snow. The Indianapolis Star reported that the snow had caught the state off guard. Dozens of residents flocked to service stations to place anti-freeze in their vehicles.  Slick roads made last minute preparations for Thanksgiving that week very difficult.  A giant car show at the Fair Grounds still went on and plenty of folks attended the event. Most travelers still made it to their Thanksgiving destinations. One Irvington family did suffer a tragedy that week. Vigil McDermid of 5376 Burgess Avenue died after sliding off a road in northern Marion County. The fifty-four-year-old man, was a father of three and worked as a salesman for the Pearson Piano Company.

On Julian Avenue, Edward and Georgia May Lollis welcomed Malcolm Benjamin Campbell and his wife Bessie Fields Campbell from Yakima, Washington. Georgia May Lollis was the niece to the elderly couple who were in town to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Lollises'. Mr. Campbell was 81 and Mrs. Campbell was 69. Excited by the new morning snowfall, the families left the warmth of 5919 Julian Avenue to document the early snow.

Photos from the snowy day, show not only the Lollis and Campbell families, but also some of the nearby properties.

Georgia May Campbell Lollis beamed as she held up her baby, Ted, and stood next to her aunt and uncle, Malcolm and Bessie Campbell on November 23, 1938.  The car belonged to the Campbells, who were most likely either in route or coming back from Nova Scotia to visit relatives. The most visible home in the photo (behind the Campbells) was that of 5884 Julian Avenue. Emil and Esther Bjorklund dwelled in that house in 1938.

Edward Lollis had to shovel the sidewalks before going to work on November 23, 1938. Mr. Lollis took the streetcar to his office. He generally left his car in the garage. Behind him, you can see the bungalow at at 5922 Julian Avenue. George and Jessie Thompson lived at that address. Mr. Thompson ran a grocery store at 3116 East Michigan Street.  

Georgia May Lollis and Ted Lollis stood outside on a cold and snowy morning on November 23, 1938.  Behind them you can see Bernard home at 5925 Julian (soon-to-be-Seaton home) and a temporarily vacant house at 5929 Julian Avenue.  

The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  To see more images from this block click on the Lawton or Readle family links below.  

Sources: "Skidding Mercury Brings Snowfall," Indianapolis Star, November 23, 1938, 1; "City to Keep Snow Coating Over Holiday," Indianapolis Star, November 24, 1938; "Virgil McDermid Salesman, Dies," Indianapolis Star, November 25, 1938.

Lost Irvington--Richardson Home

Today, a vacant lot along Burgess Avenue was once the site of a home for two prominent Irvington sisters.  Ida F. and Jennie Richardson likely moved into their home at 312 Burgess Avenue in the late nineteenth century.  Their brother, Thomas Morris Richardson, lived nearby in several Irvington homes before finally settling at 104 Johnson Avenue as he was both a builder and land speculator.

Joel F. Richardson, the father of this clan, made a fortune in the railroad business. He began investing and building rail lines as early as 1844 in Massachusetts and New York. Eventually, he moved his family to Delhi, Ohio (near Cincinnati) where he operated a farm and a coal elevator in nearby North Bend.  He first came to Indiana in the 1850s and helped to build the Indianapolis-Lawrenceburg Rail Line.  He returned in 1870 with the bold idea of building a belt or ring rail line around the city of Indianapolis.  Just as he began to find investors for the idea, the Panic of 1873 hit the nation and he saw his fortunes fall. He was saved by John Caven, the mayor of Indianapolis, who thought it was a good idea and helped to raise $500,000 for the construction of the profitable line.

Upon his death in 1895, Joel Richardson willed quite a lot of money and land to his children.  His son, Thomas, was an entrepreneur who began to speculate on land and housing in the Irvington area.  His firm, Richardson and Porter was likely responsible for building several Irvington homes including: 304 South Ritter Avenue, 346 South Ritter, and 104 Johnson Avenue among many others. It is possible that he built 312 Burgess Avenue, but that is merely speculation at this point.  An Indianapolis Star article (July 27, 1911) reported that Mr. Richardson sold eleven vacant lots north of Washington Street and New York Street and east of Audubon Road to Charles Thompson for $12,000.  When he suffered a near fatal stroke at the age of 60 on November 14, 1914, the Indianapolis Star called him "one of the most prominent citizens of Irvington."  He eventually recovered and lived until 1930.

Ida Richardson was a talented artist and poet.  To earn an income, she taught in the public schools.  She was known for her brass etchings and china painting.  The Indiana Historical Society has many of her scrapbooks, diaries, poetry, and two of her paintings of President Benjamin Harrison's childhood home in North Bend, Ohio.  She grew up near his family.  She had many passions in life including genealogy. In an age when it was difficult to search one's lineage, Miss Richardson managed to trace her mother's people back to Oliver Cromwell's England.  Miss Richardson was also the secretary to the Marion County Agricultural and Horticultural Society for decades beginning in the 1890s. She was also a member of other Irvington clubs as well.  Miss Richardson gave many formal talks in her lifetime including one titled, "Weeds and Seeds" on September 15, 1912. She lived most of her life with her younger sister Jennie (Mary J.) at 312 Burgess Avenue.  Sometime after 1904, they had the Queen Anne porch removed from the home and added a larger Craftsman era porch.

Ida Richardson lived to the age of 84 years and died in 1932.  Her younger sister passed away in 1936. Upon her passing, the home remained vacant through the remainder of 1936 and the rest of 1937.  Sometime during that year, the home burned to the ground.  For over seventy-five years, no one has rebuilt on the site and the lot now belongs to 304 Burgess Avenue.  Both Richardson women and the home have been forgotten.

Thankfully, local historian Larry Muncie, managed to acquire these three historic images of the long lost home.  In the top photo, you can see what the home would have looked like in the late nineteenth century.  Notice the smaller, but beautiful and ornate front porch.  In the second photo, likely taken around 1902, Ida Richardson hosts one of her many club gatherings.  In the third photo, you can see either Ida or Jennie Richardson sitting on the new porch.  Notice the plantings around the house.  In the bottom shot, taken in the final days of 2012, you can see the empty lot today.  If you are interested in reading Miss Richardson's prose (something I have not done yet), then go to the Indiana Historical Society and ask for the following catalog call numbers:  M0237, BV 1710-1719 OM 0050  This is not a woman who should be forgotten.

Richardson Home c1900 at 312 Burgess Avenue

Irvington Fortnightly Club c. 1902 at 312 Burgess Avenue

Elizabeth or Jennie Richardson sometime after 1904 at 312 Burgess Avenue

Empty lot where 312 Burgess Avenue used to be.  It likely burned to the ground in 1937.

Halloween Festival--1973

The neighborhood just concluded the 66th annual Halloween Festival (October 27, 2012). The very first festival occurred in 1946 although it waned dramatically by the late 1960s. Then, the local citizens under the leadership of John Readle, resurrected the event and it has been going strong for over forty years.

Members of the Thompson family prepare to paint the windows along East Washington Street in 1973

In the top photo, taken in 1973, Sue Thompson helps her son prepare to paint the windows along East Washington Street.  The subsequent undated newspaper articles discuss the the revival of the festival.  I will try to pin down the date of those articles.

Undated newspaper articles dealing with the revival of the festival perhaps in the late 1960s or early 1970s

There was much to celebrate at the festival in 2012 with a new streetscape and several vibrant businesses along the corridor. The historic photo is courtesy of the Thompson family.

Beautiful Street Lights Used to Glow in Irvington

As this photo can attest, Irvington used to have really beautiful streetlights.  This picture was taken in 1968 and shows not only the light but 27 South Downey Avenue as well.  John and Dorothy Thompson lived in the home then.  I have included a nice shot of the interior of the home also taken in 1968. The woman in the photo is Dorothy Thompson.

I can only imagine how lovely the neighborhood must have looked with these streetlights.  The Pleasanton section of Irvington still retains the beautiful lights.  The historic images are courtesy of Sue Thompson.

Irvington Ice & Coal Expands

Irvington Ice & Coal flourished in the neighborhood for decades.  Begun in 1914, the operation grew over the years at its location at 400 South Ritter Avenue.  While these images of the company may not fit the mold of the  neighborhood, largely known for its winding streets, tall trees, and stately homes, it was nonetheless, an important part of the community.  Behind the complex, and stretching towards Burgess Avenue, workers toiled in the coal piles.  As you can see from these photos, it was a fairly large operation.

The Swartz and Thompson families ran the business.  Over the years, numerous men and a few women worked with the company. Below, you will see a photo of Mr. Rumpler, the debt collector, and one of Ralph McClure, who worked in the coal plies.

By the 1940s, the company had added onto the already large structure located along Ritter Avenue next  to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  They also updated their fleet of vehicles.

Many Irvingtonians stayed warm in the winter thanks to this company and kept their food cool in their ice boxes during the warmer months.  As refrigeration became common, and citizens turned to natural gas, coal and ice companies like this one had to diversify or close shop.  Irvington Ice & Coal was eventually bought out by an oil company in the 1970s and shut down.  Today, several of the structures on the site still exist and a ghost sign still adorns at least one building.

These historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  You may also see additional views of this business by visiting the Irvington Historical Society located in the Bona Thompson Library.  

Coal Delivery in Irvington--1926

Rodney Thompson prepares to haul coal to his customers in 1926.  Notice that animal power was still used locally although Irvington Ice & Coal also had trucks by this time.  Mr. Thompson is standing across the street from the plant in the 400 block of South Ritter Avenue.  Behind him, you can see a small nineteenth-century cottage.  Mr. Thompson eventually worked his way up to becoming the General Manager of the company.  Irvington Ice & Coal operated in the neighborhood from 1914 until the early 1970s.  This historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  A contemporary shot, taken on June 10, 2012, shows the top photo today.  If you look towards the rear of the current structure, I believe you can see the gable of the original home.  Perhaps, this is wishful thinking on my part.

You may learn more about Irvington Ice & Coal by clicking on the link below.  The Irvington Historical Society, located at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library, also has an extensive photo collection and information about this local landmark.

Irvington Ice and Coal--1920s

Irvington Ice and Coal opened in 1914.  For years it was run by both the Swartz and Thompson families.  A sprawling complex, located at 400 South Ritter Avenue and next to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the company operated in Irvington for decades.  Employing dozens of workers, the business serviced the entire east side of Indianapolis and beyond.  Coal was the chief heating source for most Indianapolis homes by the the 1920s so the business was booming.  Both animal and automobile power hauled the products around the city.

In these three historic photos, taken in the 1920s, you can see how large of an operation it was along South Ritter.  The contemporary images show the structure as it is on June 10, 2012.  The historic images are courtesy of Rodney and Sue Thompson.  More photos will be forthcoming of this important Irvington commercial enterprise.

The Final Days of the Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel: 1955-2012

Dear Mrs. Hobbs and Family,
     This is where we are spending the night.  It is really nice.  Thanks so much for always being nice to me.  See you next year.  Charlotte Hall

        On the back of a Mohawk Manor postcard sent from Indianapolis, August 24, 1961

The end of an era rapidly approaches as the neighborhood prepares to remove the former Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel (5855 East Washington Street).  Mid-century roadside architecture is quickly disappearing from the highways of America and the Mohawk will now join that ever increasing number on the demolition list.  Built in 1955, and managed by Elry Rutter, the inn served as a haven for travelers sojourning along Route 40 across the US.  The hotel was part of a chain that was based in New York. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Cincinnati all hosted a Mohawk Manor.  Besides being air-conditioned, a luxury in 1955, the inn also had a coffee shop and dinette managed by Mrs. Mary A. Thompson.

It was the second half of the story that spelled doom for the structure.  By the 1980s, new owners renamed the inn the Indy East.  A much reviled place by neighbors, the hotel served as host to folks down on their luck, drug dealers, prostitutes, and even one murderer.  A seemingly lawless place, infested with rodents and roaches, the police made frequent runs to the now seedy motel.  By the dawning of the new century, Irvington made it a priority to close down this troubled business.  With dogged determination, the community breathed a sigh of relief when the city sided with the neighborhood to close the derelict and poorly managed building.

Then a small debate began.  What should happen to the structure?  Most in the neighborhood wanted the building leveled.  It was to them a painful eyesore and representative of a troubled past.  Others saw it as an opportunity.  One proposal even called for it to become an artist colony.  In the end, the community decided to purge the structure from the site and build apartments.  It will be the first major housing construction in Irvington in nearly sixty years.  A new generation of Irvingtonians will now leave their stamp upon the community although it will come at a cost of erasing just a small part of America's past.

An Orion Avenue Cottage

Orion Avenue is a quiet street located south of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, west of Emerson Avenue, and north of Brookville Road. It is a short street that most Irvingtonians have not likely driven down. While most of the housing stock along the avenue dates from the 1920s and later, there is at least one very old cottage located at 5014.

The 1889 map of Irvington shows a structure on the site. Orion used to be called Nora and South Bancroft was formerly known as Parker. Irvington founder, Levi Ritter owned the acreage around the home, but he lived in a grand place at the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Ritter Avenue.

The earliest known family to call 5014 home were the Coffins. George W. and Louisa Fulwider Coffin planned to spend their retirement years in the home and they moved into the house in 1908. The large lot was perfect for Mr. Coffin because he loved to garden and he sold his vegetables and flowers at the Indianapolis City Market. The house used to have the address of 4876 Orion, but it was changed in 1917 to 5014. The Coffins, both in their sixties, usually kept boarders. In 1910, two ministers named Summer Robinson, 21, and Frederick Jacobs, 27, lived in the home. By 1915, Mrs. Coffin's health appeared to be failing and the couple left to stay with children. Eventually, she passed away in Oak Park, Illinois on October 17, 1915. Mr. Coffin would live until 1926. Both were buried in their native Montgomery County, Indiana.

The Rubush family moved into house in 1915 and remained until the 1930s. William Rubush was a brick mason and contractor and worked on many landmarks and memorials around the city of Indianapolis. His wife, Clara Jenne Rubush, ran the household. Both of the Rubush's were members of the Universalist Church in Oaklandon in northeastern Marion County. They raised five children in the house. Their daughters Zerelda and Ada attended the Hibben Dance School in Irvington in 1921 and Zerelda later sang in the opera The Pirates of Penzance at Butler University on January 11, 1923. Both daughters would become teachers with Zerelda moving to Paris, France. One son, Jack Rubush, became a sheriff in Hancock County, Indiana, while another son, Richard Rubush, worked in a variety of jobs.

Tragedy awashed the Rubush family on May 28, 1923, when their twenty-two-year-old son, Theodore was struck by a train and killed. Theodore had just married Dorothy King and was living at 4001 East Washington Street. He was on his first day of a job delivering the Indianapolis Sunday Star near Julietta, Indiana in eastern Marion County. He had recruited his fifteen-year-old brother-in-law, David King, to drive his auto while he passed out newspapers. As young David was driving the car, it stalled on the Baltimore and Ohio tracks. A new driver, he threw the car into reverse and the auto stalled once again. Theodore was killed instantly while David survived with some terrible injuries. The Rubush's held the funeral in their home at 5014 Orion Avenue. Sadly for the Rubush family, the property abuts the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad so they likely thought of their son daily as the train conductors blew their whistles to announce the train's arrival to Irvington at Emerson Avenue.

The Swain family lived in the home in the early 1940s and then the Thompsons moved into 5014 in 1944. They would remain for several decades. Rodney Thompson worked for Irvington Ice and Coal on South Ritter and eventually worked his way up to managing the facility. The Thompsons raised their children in the cottage on the large lot. More information will be forthcoming on this interesting family.

Each house has its own story to tell. What other tales remain from this one small home on this quiet street? More research is needed not only on this house, but on many others along Orion Avenue.

In the top photo, courtesy of Kathleen Lynch, you can see Louisa Fulwider Coffin, as a passenger in her brother's car. The three women in the backseat of the car, are Louisa's sisters. She was visiting the family in Montgomery County, Indiana near New Richmond when this photo was taken around 1910.

In the second photo, you can see two views of 5014 Orion Avenue. The bottom part of the photo shows the home in 1944 just after the Thompsons planted some evergreen trees. In the top part of the photo, you can see the house in 1950. The trees had started to grow. These photos are courtesy of Sue Thompson.

It is nearly impossible to get a contemporary view of the house in 2012 because the Thompson trees now tower over the home nearly seventy years after these photos were taken, however, you will note that the dwelling has been enlarged.