The Irvington Historical Society Newsletter SEPTEMBER 2012 Message from the President THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY of the Indy East Motel The subject of our feature article this week is the notorious Indy East Motel, which, as I write this message, is in the midst of being demolished. The motel began life as the Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel, and was a GOOD example of the post-World War II modernist roadside architecture that dotted the American landscape prior to the proliferation of the interstate highway. Due to the interstate, motels like the Mohawk/ Indy East declined in popularity, and they began to achieve a BAD reputation as their clientele became more undesirable and police runs more commonplace. Eventually the motel was closed. It sat empty for several years and Inside this issue: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Indy East Motel The Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel 1 2-3 Other Mohawk Motor Inns 4 Benton House Tour of Homes 5 356 Good Avenue 6-7 An Easy Way for State Employees to Donate 8 Health Spot Shoe Shop 8 Happenings 9 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 became an UGLY eyesore along the Washington Street corridor. Thankfully a redevelopment of the site is being undertaken through a partnership including the Irvington Development Organization. Prior to the demolition, the Irvington Historical Society was given access to the property on two separate occasions to see if there were any interesting things to be found. Scavenged items included personal items of the former managing family (which will be returned to the family), dinnerware from three different eras of the motel’s existence when it featured a coffee shop, a few unopened boxes of Gideon Bibles from the 1970s, and the letters on the front of the building that had spelled out “Restaurant”. Additionally, photographers were present at both visits, so photographic documentation of the final days of the motel’s existence will be available to future generations. Don Flick, IHS President Page 2 The Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel: The Indy East Motel in Better Days Researched and written by Don Flick, IHS President The Indy East Motel has a history similar to that of many other motels built as part of the pre-interstate era—popular in the 1950s and ’60s, struggling in the 1970s, and in perpetual decline from the ’80s onward. The motel opened as the Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel in 1954. It was developed by a real estate development firm headed by two attorneys from Shaker Heights, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) - Lloyd Schwenger and Milton Daus. It was one of seven motels that the pair developed (see related story on page 4 for locations of the other Mohawk motels). In the first years of its existence the motel was managed by Elry Rutter. Located on the first floor of the motel was the Mohawk Manor Coffee Shop and Dinette. Early managers included Mary Thompson and a husband and wife team—Otto “Fred” and Alice Wiegand. The Mohawk was quite a respectable and popular lodging place until interstate highways started replacing national and state highways as the preferred routes of travel. By 1969 the Mohawk Manor motel chain had been bought by NBO Industries, a parent company that operated bowling alleys under the name National Bowl-O-Mat. By 1973 the motel in Irvington was operating under the name Treadway Inn, and the coffee shop carried the Treadway name also. By 1977 the Treadway name had been dropped and the Mohawk name returned, with the businesses Upper right: Indianapolis Herald article, Jan. 22, 1954. Background: Detail from Franciscan “Starburst” china pattern used in the coffee shop during the 1950s. Middle: Postcards c. 1960s Right: Entry from 1955 Indianapolis city directory. Page 3 Indy East Motel (cont’d from page 2) known as the Mohawk Budget Inn and Mohawk Coffee Shop. Like many struggling mid-sized American motels the Mohawk Budget Inn eventually became part of what is known as the “Patel Motel” phenomenon, coming under the control of a Hindu Indian family surnamed Patel. Approximately 50% of hotels and motels in the US today are run by natives of India, almost all named Patel, and most coming from the Indian state of Gujarat. Around 1980 Rasmi Patel became manager of the Mohawk. City directories for the ensuing three years listed Arvind Patel as manager of the renamed Budget Host Motel. During this time the coffee shop was operated by Jerry Wall under the name Jerry’s Coffee Shop. Between 1984 and 1986 the motel brought back the American Indian motif and was rechristened the Chief Motel, with “Jim” Patel listed as manager. By 1989 the name had been changed yet again, this time to the Indy East Motel, the name that it would keep until its demise. The owners were a couple named Ravindra and Manuben Patel. Struggling to maintain a clientele, the motel became increasingly popular with drug addicts, prostitutes, and persons unable to find permanent housing. Police runs were frequent, and the residents of Irvington started calling for the closing of the Indy East. Due to citizen and police complaints the City of Indianapolis eventually ordered the Indy East closed. The Patel family complied, but began looking for other alternative uses for the building. There was an effort around 2010 to donate the building to Good News Ministries for use as a family homeless shelter, but the community resisted that effort. Eventually the county took over possession of the motel, and gave title to the Irvington Development Organization, which began soliciting proposals for the property. The proposal that was eventually selected was a partnership between IDO and Meyer-Najem to replace the building with a 50-unit apartment complex targeting individuals and families of moderate income. As that project moved toward reality the fate of the motel was sealed, and demolition brought to an end a once-respectable but later-reviled part of Irvington. Upper right: Postcard from 1960s. Lower left: Photograph of Patel family c.1980s. This photo was recently found in a pre-demolition walkthrough of the motel. Family members are unidentified. Right: Photo c. 2009. Page 4 Other Mohawk Motor Inns The Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel in Irvington was one of a small chain of seven motels. Others were located in Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD, and Cincinnati, OH. The actual names of the motels varied slightly. Whereas many of the motels were originally named Mohawk Manor Motorist Hotel, most later became known as Mohawk Motor Inn, although as these photos attest, this was not consistent. Philadelphia, PA Syracuse, NY Cincinnati, OH Buffalo, NY Rochester, NY The current conditions of the motels vary. Some have been renovated into more modern hotels, one is a substance abuse center, and at least one has been demolished. Baltimore, MD Page 5 Benton House Tour of Homes 2012 Page 6 Benton House Tour Home: 356 Good Avenue Researched and written by Steven R. Barnett, IHS Executive Director On March 31, 1925, a notice appeared in The Indianapolis Commercial that a building permit had been issued to R. Whittenberg for the construction of a dwelling in the style of an American Four Square at “350 Good Av” costing $6,000. The lot Whittenberg had selected for his new home was next door to his father-in-law, Jacob Rubin.1 Randolph S. Whittenberg was born in Missouri on July 2, 1866. Trained as a machinist, he came to Indianapolis around 1901 and worked as a die setter in a forge shop. Whittenberg married Estella Margaret Rubin (1880-1978) on June 20, 1905, and to this marriage two children were born – Florence Whittenberg and Floyd Whittenberg. Whittenberg died on October 15, 1930 and was buried at Washington Park East Cemetery.2 The Great Depression years of the ‘30s saw Philip Everhart Lamson residing in this house with his wife Faye and their three children Kathryn Lamson, Phyllis Lamson, and Thomas Lamson. Records indicate that he was a tenant. Lamson was born in Cowden, Illinois on November 21, 1891. He was an inspector with Western Union Telegraph Co when he enlisted in the United States Army in April 1918. Assigned to Headquarters Company, 308 Field Artillery, Lamson saw active service on the Western Front. He was discharged in May 1919 with the rank of corporal and returned to his civilian job with Corp. Philip E. Lamson Western Union. The company transferred Lamson from Charleston, Illinois to Indianapolis in 1932. After leaving 356 S. Good Av, Lamson continued to live in the Irvington area through the mid-1950s.3 Carl J. Eder bought this house on the eve of World War II. A native Hoosier, Eder was born in the Madison County community of Alexandria on April 14, 1897, and in his early teens he began working as an operator for the Postal TelegraphCable Co (Western Union) in Indianapolis. It is likely that Eder met his future wife while working as a telegraph operator. The main office of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Co was located in the Merchants Bank Building, and in 1919 Illinois native Beulah M. Cossey (1903-62) was working as a stenographer for the J B Ford Co which had offices in the same building. Romance blossomed and the couple married. Together they would become the parents of five children – Carl W. “Bill” Eder, Paul R. Eder, Theresa Eder, Mary Jean Eder, and Rita A. Eder.4 The peaceful calm that the Eders found on Good Avenue did not last long. Irvington, like communities across the United States, soon found its sons going off to war. Nineteen-year-old Bill Eder joined the Navy and was posted as a gunner’s mate on a merchant ship. The war years saw the national media featuring stories of “hometown America” in addition to its coverage of soldiers and sailors at the front. One of the most popular publications to do this was Life magazine which brought the events of the world into American homes with its pages of glossy photographs. For the September 25, 1944 issue, Life editors profiled the Eder family to show that with all of Bill Eder’s Family and their dog Butch the turmoil of war, “Home: It’s the Same as Ever.” With accompanying photos – Bill’s family sitting in the living room of an evening reading the paper, listening to the radio, sewing; Bill’s bed; Bill’s civilian clothes carefully put away; the family car – Bill Eder, and by extension all service members, were assured that all would be as they left it when they returned home. The narrative accompanying the photos conveyed a nostalgic sense of stability that would be waiting the returning “Bills” so life could be resumed with little change. Even one of Bill’s girlfriends, Lois Bardwell, was pictured. Bill Eder came home from the war, but by the end of the decade the family moved from Irvington to the neighborhood around Little Flower Catholic Church.5 Insurance agent Kirk H. McMillan was the next owner of 356 Good Av. Born in Wilmington, Ohio on New Year’s Day 1904, McMillan was associated with United Benefit Health & Accident and later with Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co. He married Mary Lu Blackwell (1913-2005) of Mitchell, Indiana and together they were the parents of three daughters – Marilyn Ann McMillan, Barbara Jean McMillan, and Carol Lu McMillan. Shortly after the end of World War II, McMillan brought his family to Indianapolis and to this Irvington house. It appears that the couple divorced in the early 1950s, and as a consequence the Good Avenue house was sold. Kirk McMillan died in Indianapolis on November 7, 1954.6 Following the McMillans, Wayne L. Settles, a millwright with Esterline Angus Co, and his wife Mary I. Settles became the owners of this residence for the next twenty-five years. Settles was born in Kentucky on September 18, 1916 and died in Page 7 Benton House Tour Home (cont’d from page 6) Franklin, Indiana on June 6, 2006.7 A succession of short term owners came after the Settles. Robert E. and Ingeburg M. Harold owned 356 Good Av for a couple of years in the late ‘70s. Harold was a service man with Baker Boiler. Around 1978, retired Indianapolis Union Railroad brakeman George M. Dobson bought this home and resided there with his wife Ruth J. Dobson. A native of Kentucky, Dobson was born on March 31, 1918. He married fellow Kentuckian Ruth Juanita Shields (1919-2004) in 1935 and together they were the parents of five children – George “Mike” Dobson, Clarence “Bill” Dobson, Judy Dobson, Sharon Dobson, and Jamie Dobson. A veteran of World War II, Dobson enlisted in the United States Army in March, 1944 and served until January, 1946 when he was discharged as a private. The Dobsons left Good Avenue in the early 1980s. George Dobson died on March 15, 1996 and was buried in Forest Lawn Memory Garden, Greenwood, Indiana.8 ———————————————————————-—— Footnotes: 1. “Building Permits,” The Indianapolis Commercial, 31 March 1925, p.; 1920 United States Federal Census<ancestry.com>. 2. “Death Notices,” The Indianapolis Star, 17 October 1930, p. 22:1; Indiana Marriage Collection 1800-1941<ancestry.com>; 1910-30 United States Federal Census<ancestry.com>; 1902-09; 1912-13; 1915; 1922-24; 1926 R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory. 3. World War I Draft Registration Card<ancestry.com>; Shelby County Illinois in the World War (Review Press, Decatur, IL 1919), p. 151; 1920-30-40 United States Federal Census <ancestry.com>; 1933 R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory. 4. “Carl J. Eder,” The Indianapolis Star, 13 January 1973, p. 11:2; “Indianapolis Area Deaths,” The Indianapolis Star, 29 January 1965, p. 9:8; World War I Draft Registration Card<ancestry.com>; Social Security Death Indexancestry.com>; 1920-30-40 United States Federal Census<ancestry.com>. 5. “Home: It’s the Same as Ever,” Life, 25 September 1944, pp. 8689; R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory. 6. “Insurance Salesman Dies in Home,” The Indianapolis Star, 8 November 1954, p. 4:3; Ohio Births & Christenings Index 18001962<ancestry.com>; Social Security Death Index <ancestry.com>; 1940 United States Federal Census <ancestry.com>; McMillanFamilyTree<ancestry.com>; R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory. 7. Wayne L. Settles,” The Indianapolis Star, 8 June 2006, p. B7:2; R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory; Social Security Death Index <ancestry.com>; AlbertsonFamilyTree<ancestry.com>. 8. R L Polk & Co Indianapolis City Directory; “Ruth J. Shields Dobson,” The Indianapolis Star, 20 April 2004, p. ; Social Security Death Index<ancestry.com>; Altman/Dodd/Reynolds/Devore <ancestry.com>; U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 1 938-46; U. S. Veterans Administration Birls Death File 18502010<ancestry.com>. Ω Below: Text from Life magazine article, Sept. 25, 1944, describing the Eder family during World War II. The house, which is now clad in siding, was at the time covered in stucco, as noted in the story. Page 8 An Easy Way for State Employees to Donate to the Society Submitted by Paul Diebold, IHS Board Member “I gave at the office” has become a common way of refusing a donation request. Now, you can live up to your claim of “giving at the office.” If you are a State of Indiana worker, you can give back to your community directly at the convenience of your office desk! The United Way Indiana State Employees’ Community Campaign (SECC) will allow donations to the Irvington Historical Society. Now through November 2, simply enter our code, 519700, when completing your contribution form at the SECC web site. If you are a state employee but do not live in Irvington, you can still donate to the Society through the SECC. Consider the following one time and by-weekly giving options: • • • A one-time donation of $25.00 helps us operate Bona Thompson Center free to the public for one more day. A one-time donation of $50.00 will assist our upcoming Irvington Presents juried art show. A bi-weekly payroll deduction of $10/paycheck (the cost of fast food meal) will accumulate to $520 by the end of the • year, helping us to put on free events throughout the year. A bi-weekly payroll deduction of $20/paycheck will accumulate to $1,040.00 by the end of the year, helping us remain active in reaching out to the community, by putting on events like our recent free workshop for historic buildings. The Irvington Historical Society has received thousands of dollars of donations from the SECC for over five years now. Donations range from employees to who use the payroll deduction to those who make a one-time contribution. The United Way created the SECC as way of getting state employees involved in their communities. Over the past 34 years, state employees have contributed $24,000,000 to charities of their choice. Last year, nearly 6,000 employees contributed to 1,600 charities through the SECC and raised more than $1,200,000. Point your web browser to http://www.insecc.org/ default.htm for more information. Health Spot Shoe Shop: Buy Shoes, Get Your Feet X-Rayed. Submitted by Don Flick, IHS President The following business article appeared in the Nov. 14, 1947 edition of the Indianapolis (later East Side) Herald. The Health Spot Shoe Shop was located in a building that formerly stood on what is now the Walgreen’s parking lot. According to the article, before being fitted for shoes, customers would have their feet x-rayed by the trained sales people . It is interesting that the price of the x-ray was inexpensive enough to be considered just part of the overhead cost of selling a pair of shoes. William Hantman had another Health Spot Shoe Shop downtown at 17 E. Ohio Street and it appears after a couple of years he closed the Irvington store and concentrated on the downtown store. The downtown store closed sometime between 1955 and 1959. Ω Page 9 IHS Happenings IHS Membership Current Exhibits at BTMC Immediate Benefits for New Members: • • • “A Celebration of Indiana Artists, Featuring t.The Irvington Group”, art from the collections of the Irvington Historical Society and the Portfolio. “Beecher Arlinda Ellen, Indiana’s World Champion Milk-Producing Cow”. “Baseball Memorabilia”, featuring baseballs autographed by some baseball greats. • Permanent Exhibits & Attractions at BTMC • • • • • • • Butler University Memorabilia including scale model of the Irvington campus International Harvester Memorabilia Eastside Fire Museum Irvington Garden Club Conservatory IHS Bookstore and Gift Shop (new and vintage items) “Influence of the Railroad on the Development of Irvington” including scale model of Pennsylvania Railroad and the original Irvington commercial district “The Civil War and its Influence on Irvington” featuring exhibits on Camp McClellan, historic lithographs of notable battles, etc. VINTAGE ADS: This month we feature two ads for businesses that were located at 5519 E. Washington Street, which was part of the Masonic Lodge Building at the corner of Johnson and Washington. Right: From the 1926 Butler Drift yearbook. Below: From the Jan. 22, 1954 issue of the Indianapolis Herald. It is interesting that one business was touting the benefits of gas, while the other was all about electricity. • Discounts from Irvington Merchants: All members, new and renewed, will receive a card for discounts at the following merchants: Annie’s Apparel, Bona Thompson Conservatory, Bookmamas, Black Sheep Gifts, George Thomas Florist, Lazy Daze Coffee House, and WeePlay. Gift : All new members may pick -up a gift on their first visit to the Bona Thompson Memorial Center. Annual Member Benefits: • • • • Special invitation for all events at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center. Newsletter 10% discount on Irvington Historical Society items at the Bona Thompson Memorial Society Gift Shop. Holiday gift. To Join: • Please complete the following application and mail it along with your annual membership dues for $25.00 to: Irvington Historical Society 5350 East University Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219-7009 Name ______________________ Address ______________________ ______________________ Phone ______________________ Email ______________________ For more information about the Irvington Historical Society, visit
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