Lost Irvington--10 North Ritter Avenue

Homes located near the commercial blocks on East Washington Street were some of the first removed in the neighborhood as parking became a premium.  Six homes on the west side of Ritter Avenue just north of Washington Street were demolished over time.  One home, 24 North Ritter Avenue, was eventually moved to its present location at 354 North Ritter.

10 North Ritter dated to at least the late nineteenth century.  This small cottage served as home for many of the small business folks who operated nearby.  George Wilkins, a barber, lived here in 1916 and worked across the street at 9 North Ritter Avenue.  Howard T. Chaille and his family also lived at 10 North Ritter in the mid-1920s.  Mr. Chaille ran his shoe repair business across the street at 9 North Ritter.  He eventually moved into a bigger store on East Washington Street.  (See Chaille link below)

A member of the Chaille family in a nice boater hat poses on the back porch at 10 N. Ritter c. 1925

Lola Marie Chaille,  poses for a photo at 10 N. Ritter. (c.1925)  Note the brick structure behind her.

Eva Mae Chaille stands on the front porch of 10 North Ritter c.1925.

Although we do not know who these folks are in the photos, someone has written 10 North Ritter on the back of each picture.  They came with the Chaille family collection so it is likely that the folks in these images are connected with that family.  10 North Ritter has been gone for over sixty years and so far these are the only images we have of the structure.  The first two depict the rear of the home and you can see the commercial buildings on the northwest corner of East Washington and Ritter in the background.  The bottom picture was taken on the front porch.  Clearly, the snapshots do not portray the image that all of Irvington was lush and well-manicured.  The yard appears to be dirt and a hubcap rests against the brick building in the background.  Perhaps someday we shall be able to find views that depict all seven homes either destroyed or moved.

These historic images are courtesy of Kent Hankins.

Boys Play Near Farmer's Field--1940

Duff Thompson and Bill Wilkins lived in the 6100 block of Dewey Avenue in 1940. The boys had plenty of room to play as Dewey Avenue dead-ended into a field east of the neighborhood. Most of the folks who lived in that block rented or owned small bungalows built in the 1920s. In this photo, you can see the two boys and the wide open space behind them. After World War II, a developer built several small brick homes on the open land. This historic image is courtesy of Sue Thompson.