Thanksgiving in Irvington in 1956

The Caldwell family, of 81 North Hawthorne Lane, had much to be thankful for in 1956. Both of their adult children had begun their careers and Howard Caldwell, Sr. still managed a thriving advertising firm. On Thanksgiving Day, the Gruenholz family drove over from Terre Haute, Indiana to celebrate the day with the Caldwells. Lynn Gruenholz had married Howard Caldwell, Jr. on March 16, 1955, so it was their second holiday season as a couple. The Indianapolis Star revealed that on the previous evening a winter storm raked the northern part of the state but left only a few slick spots in central Indiana. The temperatures that year barely climbed above freezing as Irvington families began to carve their turkeys.

Elsie Felt Caldwell lit the candles for the Thanksgiving meal at 81 North Hawthorne Lane in 1956 while Helen Gruenholz, the mother of Lynn Gruenholz Caldwell, poured the water. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell, Sr. snapped this Thanksgiving shot  in 1956 in the Caldwell home at 81 North Hawthorne Lane just before the prayer. Seated on the left: Lynn Gruenholz Caldwell and her husband Howard Caldwell, Jr. Elsie Felt Caldwell sat at the head of the table; Seated at the right: Albert Gruenholz, Herm Gruenholz, and Helen Gruenholz of Terre Haute, Indiana. Notice the turkey and all of the food on the tray next to Mr. Caldwell's chair.  (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

81 North Hawthorne Lane in the winter of 1943  (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

A special thanks to Ginny Hingst, the granddaughter of Howard and Elsie Felt Caldwell, for the use of the photos and the stories.

Bob Hunt's Service Station at East 10th Street and Arlington Avenue--1950s

James Robert "Bob" Hunt, who dwelled at 336 North Arlington Avenue, operated his very own Mobil Gas Station from 1955 until 1959 at 990 North Arlington Avenue. City directories indicate that a service station had been in operation on the southwest corner of Arlington Avenue and East 10th Street since at least 1932. Typical of the times, Mr. Hunt operated a full-service station which included tire repair and replacement, oil changes, batteries, spark plugs, and engine repair. Attendants pumped the gas for those who pulled in and washed the cars. Mr. Hunt was a World War II veteran, who had been stationed in the Pacific Theater working in a machine shop and rebuilding torpedoes.

By the mid-1950s, the intersection at of 10th and Arlington had been full developed by Joseph Guidone with a grocery store,  a pharmacy, the Arlington Theater, a bank, and numerous shops. Mr. Hunt's brother, Harold, operated a jewelry store at 6006 East 10th Street. North and east of the intersection, developers were busy adding new housing additions to accommodate the building boom taking place in Indianapolis.

After four years in operation, Mr. Hunt decided that the venture had not been profitable and he went to work for US Naval Avionics to support his wife Ruth and their young son Bob. In 2019, a gas station still operates on the southwest corner of Tenth and Arlington.

Bob Hunt operated a service station on the southwest corner of East 10th and Arlington Avenue from 1955-59. Across the street, you can see the Arlington Supermarket owned by Joseph Guidone, a fabric shop, and a water tower. (photo courtesy of Bob Hunt's son, Robert Harold Hunt)

Bob Hunt held the grand opening event for his new service station at 990 North Arlington Avenue on July 27 and 28, 1955. (photo courtesy of Bob Hunt's son, Robert Harold Hunt)

Bob Hunt operated a full-service Mobil Gas Station at 990 North Arlington Avenue. In this photo, snapped c1955, Mr. Hunt stood next to his service truck. Behind him, you can see the Arlington Theater and the American Fletcher National Bank on the northeast corner of East Tenth Street and Arlington Avenue. Local residents who needed to get ahold of Mr. Hunt simply called Fleetwood 7-0836. (photo courtesy of Bob Hunt's son, Robert Harold Hunt)

Image courtesy of Bob Hunt's son, Robert Harold Hunt

Bob Hunt, at the far left, stood with Howard "Bud" Tellman, Max Sharp, and another unidentified employee c1955 at his gas station located at 990 North Arlington Avenue. (photo courtesy of Bob Hunt's son, Robert Harold Hunt)

A special thanks to Robert Harold Hunt for making this post possible.

Daily Life at Pleasant Run Home

The Doran children, who used to live at 737 North Campbell Avenue, suddenly had plenty of room in which to play or work on cars after they moved into 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran commissioned a local architect, Orlando Little, to design their new home on the parkway in 1949. It was completed in the summer of 1950. In the images below, Jim and Phil Doran and a friend named Dick Foley can be seen working on Jim's 1937 Opel in 1954. In a stunning color slide photograph, a very young Miriam Doran, enjoyed a day out on her bike in front of the family home in 1951.

Jim Doran and Dick Foley worked on the engine of his 1954 Opel while Phil Doran assisted with the ignition next to the family garage at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

Backyard Scene: Jim and Phil Doran and Dick Foley worked on a 1937 Opel on the driveway at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1954. What Hoosier driveway would be complete without a basketball goalpost and net? (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

Miriam Doran enjoys a day out on her bike in 1951 in front of the family home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway was built for the Doran family in 1950. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji)

I wish to thank Miriam Lash, Jennifer Lash, Susan Boyle, Jim Doran, Alicia Schwering, and Kevin Yamafuji for making this post possible. 

Construction Photos of Pleasant Run Parkway Home

Throughout the summer of 1950, construction workers busily erected a brand new home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive for the Doran family. Incredible photographs still exist of the house under construction in the family's collection. Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran commissioned architect Orlando Little to assist them with the design. The plan is based upon a builder's catalog design called "The Collingwood." Mr. Little modified the design for his clients. The images show the house under various phases of construction and family members can be seen excitedly examining their new environment.

Miriam Doran stood in her new front yard at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950.
(photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

Julia Cooper Doran stood in her future home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950 while her daughter, Miriam, posed next to the bricks that would be used for the exterior of the residence. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive under construction in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

Taking Shape: Children dashed about the new house under construction at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

An unidentified construction worker examined plans in the new living room at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

The tub had been installed at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in the summer of 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1950 (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

The home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway Drive is a modified version of the "The Collingwood"

Notice the bike tracks in the snow in this artistic shot of 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive taken in the winter of 1951 by the Doran family. (photo courtesy of Kevin Yamafuji) 

A special thanks to the following people for making this post possible: Miriam Lash, James Doran, Jennifer Lash, Susan Boyle, and Kevin Yamafuji. 

Orlando Little Designed Irvington Home

Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran had been living in Irvington since their marriage in 1934. They resided along both Burgess and Campbell Avenues. As their family grew, the couple knew that they wanted a bigger house. In the 1940s, the Dorans lived in a small two-bedroom house at 737 North Campbell Avenue with three small children. Mr. Doran earned a comfortable salary as a chemist for the Eli Lilly Company so they had options. After World War II ended, veterans flooded home and houses were hard to find. Many folks began to build ranch houses in new subdivisions in the far parts of the county, but the Dorans were not interested in leaving Irvington. By the late 1940s, there were few available lots in Irvington, but around the corner from their home they noticed an old apple orchard on a single lot in the 5700 block of Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive and purchased it.

5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 2019 (photo courtesy of Alicia Schwering) 

Sometime in 1949, the Dorans commissioned an architect named Orlando B. Little to design their new home. Miriam Doran Lash, the daughter of Wilbur and Julia Doran, remembers sitting in Mr. Little's office and playing with the model of the house that he had prepared for the family. While more research is needed on this interesting architect, it is known that some of his religious and state-owned structures are still around today. In the 1920s, he designed the barracks for the Indiana Boys School in Plainfield. In 1931, he received the commission to draw up the plans for structures at the Indiana School for the Feeble Minded in Butlerville, Indiana. It is also known that he designed the West Michigan Methodist Episcopal Church at 2132 West Michigan Street in 1924 and the Ray Street Nazarene Church at 1242 West Ray Street in 1952 in Indianapolis.

Orlando B. Little, an architect, designed 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo Indianapolis News, January 21, 1958, 9)

Orlando B. Little designed the West Michigan Street Methodist Episcopal Church in 1924. It still stands at 2132 West Michigan Street in Indianapolis in 2019. 

Orlando B. Little also designed the Ray Street Nazarene Church in 1952. It still stands at 1242 West Ray Street in Indianapolis in 2019. 

Wilbur and Julia Cooper Doran purchased this lot at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1949. They hired Orlando B. Little to design a home for them on the site. (historic photo courtesy of Miriam Lash, Jennifer Lash, and Alicia Schwering) 

In the autumn of 1950, the Dorans moved into their brand new house at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. The two-story brick home was ample for their family. With a long living room with a fireplace in the middle of it, the Dorans would have plenty of room to host gatherings in their residence. Mrs. Doran was very active in various clubs and associations and held several meetings in her home. For instance, on February 4, 1952, she invited the local chapter of the American Association of University Women to gather in her home. The purpose of the meeting was to examine the local school system. Several women spoke at the event including Olma Bruck, a former Indianapolis School Board Member.

While Mrs. Doran stayed home to raise their three children, Mr. Doran was a very busy person at Eli Lilly.  He was an important research chemist who not only authored articles on barbiturates for the American Chemical Society, but his research on hypnotics led to a patent for Seconal. A publication put out by Eli Lilly revealed that Mr. Doran actually obtained several patents on hypnotics. He was considered one of the leading authorities in the world on barbituric-acid chemistry.

For the Doran children, the new home was a perfect place in which to find areas to play. Across the street, the boys used a small field next to Pleasant Run for all kinds of ball games. The stream itself was also an inviting place for the children to explore nature.

David Lash, the son-in-law of Wilbur and Julia Doran, attempted to dig out the family driveway at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive c 1965.  (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Family dinner, January 1954:  Wilbur, Miriam, Julia, and James Doran gathered for a meal in their dining room at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive.  Philip Doran likely took the photo. 

The Doran family dog reclined next the fireplace at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1967. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering) 

Julia Cooper Doran, who had deep roots in Irvington, posed next to her Christmas tree c1966 (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Happy Day: Miriam Doran married David Lash of 47 North Layman Avenue at the Irvington Methodist Church on August 6, 1965. After the wedding, the Dorans hosted a reception. In this photo, the newlyweds departed out a back door of her childhood home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. Judy and Barbara Doran can also be seen in the image. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

House for sale c1982: The Dorans had lived in their home for over 30 years when they put it on the market. Harold Papiska was the next resident of the house. (photo courtesy of Miriam Lash and Alicia Schwering)

Today, the home at 5770 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive looks much the same as it did in 1950. The pin oak planted by Mr. Doran in the front yard now towers over the house. The Dorans sold the dwelling in the early 1980s. Later residents altered a few things on the back of the house, but the residence is largely as Mr. Little designed it.

Sources:  About Orlando Little:  "Orlando Little, Architect, Dies," Indianapolis News, January 21, 1958, 9; "Notice to Bidders," Indianapolis Star, October 21, 1925; "West Michigan M.E. Church Work Started," Indianapolis Star, September 8, 1924, 17; "Sealed Proposals," Indianapolis Star, May 21, 1931, 8; "New Ray Street Nazarene Church to be Dedicated," Indianapolis Star, April 21, 1954, 8; The Doran family:  "AAUW Study Groups Schedule 6 Meetings," Indianapolis Star, February 3, 1952, 65; "Lash-Doran," Indianapolis Star, January 6, 1965, 98; "Irvington Mother's Club," Indianapolis Star, January 12, 1964, 73. Clipping from Eli Lilly Company Promotional, "Wilbur Doran Scores Scientific 1st in Synthesizing New Anesthetic," Undated. (collection of Miriam Lash)

I am indebted to Miriam Doran Lash for her stories and information about the photos. I would also like to thank Alicia Schwering who introduced me to the Doran/Lash family. Jennifer Lash, the daughter of Miriam and David Lash has also assisted with the post. Thank you to all three of these ladies!

Caldwells Move to Pleasant Run Parkway Home

In 1958, Howard and Elsie Felt Caldwell listed their home at 81 North Hawthorne Lane with the Spann Realty Company. They had made the decision to move into a beautiful ranch home at 6530 East Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive due to Elsie Felt Caldwell's health. She could now move about easier without having to climb a staircase.They were not the first residents of that home as the Meyers and Huffers preceded them. Situated on a corner, the backyard sloped down to the Pleasant Run stream. Although he could have retired long ago, Howard Caldwell, Sr. continued to work at his advertising firm downtown.

6530 East Pleasant Run Parkway c1968 (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Ad Man: Howard Caldwell, Sr. at his desk in his downtown office in the Merchant's Building in July of 1964 (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Tragically, not long after the Caldwells moved into their new home, Elsie Felt Caldwell became sick. Their daughter, Martha Virginia, moved in to help take care of her mother. After a long illness, Mrs. Caldwell passed away in the house in 1961. Mr. Caldwell continued to live on in the dwelling and likely surprised his family in 1968 when he announced that he was marrying Bertha Lugar, the mother of Mayor Richard Lugar. The happy couple honeymooned in Florida and South America.

Not all was perfect in the new house. Sometime in June of 1969 while the Caldwells were gone, thieves broke into the residence and stole many items including the couple's color television set, silverware, jewelry, and their 1963 Buick LeSabre. Of course, the new Mrs. Caldwell was the mother of the mayor of the city so the police eventually tracked down the culprits. All four connected with the burglary were captured and shepherded to jail.

Howard Caldwell, Sr. married Bertha Lugar in 1968. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell Jr. and his wife Lynn Gruenholz Caldwell and their daughters, Tracy, Ginny, and Susan, visited Howard Caldwell Sr. at his home at 6530 Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive c1966 (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell Sr. relaxed in his home at 6530 East Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive in 1972. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

6530 East Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive c1958 (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell, Sr. passed away at the age of 80 in 1973. Bertha Lugar Caldwell continued to reside in the house until 1975. She would live many more years and long enough to see her son become a Senator. She died in 1999 at the age 92.

Sources:  "Mrs. Caldwell Dies in Home," Indianapolis Star, September 17, 1961, 12; "Burglars Make $10,000 Haul in Eastside Home," Indianapolis News, June 21, 1969, 16; "Howard Caldwell, Sr. Rites to be Saturday," Indianapolis Star, December 27, 1973, 37.

I am indebted to Ginny Hingst for her stories and photos of the Caldwell family.

The Donnell Home Then and Now

Dr. Clifton Donnell and his wife, Bonnie Applegate Donnell, moved into their beautiful Colonial Revival stuccoed home at 82 North Hawthorne Lane in the late 1920s. They were not the first family to reside here as the Craven family preceded them. The Donnells raised their daughter Mary Elizabeth here as well. Dr. Donnell was a well-known dentist and a deacon at the Irvington Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Donnell was extraordinarily active in various clubs. Society blurbs in the Indianapolis Star and News reveal that she hosted numerous luncheons and meetings in the house. Among some of the folks who gathered here included the Irvington Republican Women's Association, the Katherine Merrill Graydon Club (Butler Professor), the Kappa Kappa Kappa Sorority alumni, and various groups from the Irvington Presbyterian Church. One of her biggest events took place on Monday, April 8, 1929, when she hosted a dinner for the Irvington Coterie Club. The women invited their husbands that night. The club colors were yellow and white so the small tables scattered throughout the living room and dining room had daffodils and tulips along with decorative tablecloths in those hues. Forty people attended the event.

Sometime in the winter of 1943, either Howard or Elsie Felt Caldwell, who lived a across the street, grabbed their camera and snapped the beautiful winter image of the Donnell home. The exterior of the residence has changed little since its construction over one hundred years ago.

Dr. Clifton and Bonnie Applegate Donnell dwelled at 82 North Hawthorne Lane when this photo was snapped during the winter of 1943 by the Caldwell family. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

82 North Hawthorne Lane in 2019

Sources: Society blurbs: Indianapolis Star, April 9, 1929, 14; Indianapolis Star, October 12, 1933, 9; Dr. Clifton Donnell: "Services Set for Dentist," Indianapolis News, July 23, 1954, 14; Bonnie Applegate Donnell: "Bonnie Donnell Was Active in Community," Indianapolis News, July 9, 1993, 27