Irvington Historical Society

01/09/2023

Mystery Monday. The Irvington Historical Society makes its home in the Bona Thompson Center, 5350 University Avenue. What do you know about the building and the family that built it? This first post is about Edward C. Thompson. The odd thing is that this is the only image we found of this wealthy prominent businessman and philanthropist. Follow the next three posts and visit the exhibit to learn more. The Irvington Historical Society opens the Bona Thompson Center each Saturday and Sunday from 1-4.

01/05/2023

The Irvington Historical Society announces changes to its Board of Directors. Steven Schmidt will serve as Interim President. Bill Gulde remains on the Board after most recently serving as President. And, Donna Rutherford joins the board as a new member. THANKS to all of our volunteers for their dedication to presenting & preserving local art & history.

01/02/2023

Mystery Monday. What are your wishes for 2023 other than health and peace? For an Archivist it is that the Irvington Historical Society can find funding to repair or just save fragile items. The Irvington Historical Society has a collection of paintings by the Irvington artist, Dorothy Morlan. She painted in all styles and on all types of materials. Some of her work was on burlap and is deteriorating. This is an example of one of her paintings that is in dire straits. It is titled The Sentinels and has loose paint, 2 holes in the canvas and is separated from the stretchers. Your donations go toward repairing this type of treasure. If you would care to adopt some or fragile items, donate at https://irvingtonhistoricalsociety.square.site/product/make-a-donation/4?cs=true&cst=custom

12/31/2022

On this last day of 2022, the Irvington Historical Society thanks you for your interest and support. We have been blessed with neighbors who have shared their old photos and stories with us. Here is an image taken by amateur photographer Ewin J. White between 1910 and 1920 and titled, Path to Skating Place, north of Ritter. Mr. White lived at 5205 E. Walnut and took several award winning pictures of Pleasant Run and Ellenberger Park.

12/30/2022

Photos from Crown Hill Heritage Foundation's post

12/30/2022

I love odd gadgets and this is one of those. Do you know what it is? Sorry, I can't wait to tell you. It dispensed bus or subway tokens. Each circle held about 10 tokens which were as small as dimes. The little gadget was manufactured by J.E.Mergott Company of Newark New Jersey, who also manufactured frames for purses. I just indexed this little item donated by Ron Huggler. Ron is a major train/ streetcar/ trolley/ history enthusiast and built the diorama of old Irvington that you can view at the Bona Thompson, https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/visit/exhibits/irvington-transportation/. This little item was one of his treasures.

12/29/2022

Just an interesting photo. This was the home of Corydon Shimer on Brookville Road. His farm became the site of the International Harvester plant. Here is an overview of the International Harvester exhibit at the Bona Thompson Center, home of the Irvington Historical Society. We re-open Jan 7, 2023. https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/visit/exhibits/international-harvester/

12/28/2022

Here is another winter picture from the collection of art at the Bona Thompson Center, home of the Irvington Historical Society. It is by Irvington artist, Dorothy Morland, and it's repair was funded by the Irvington Community Council. The title is Irvington in December.

12/27/2022

Since this isn't Monday...this is a Tuesday Tease. The Archivist has an error to correct and a request for more photos..all connected to Our Lady of Lourdes. The first photo is a fairly typical last day of school photo but I have no names. The date is probably 1950s. The second was the original Our Lady of Lourdes church completed in 1915 and then torn down after the new church was built in 1942. It is from the Bass photo collection held by the Indiana Historical Society. Does anyone have interior photos?

12/26/2022

Good afternoon. Several have asked about the location of the Hilton U Brown and the Wm Forsyth homes. This is a 1941 Baist map that you can find at https://maps.indy.gov/MapIndy/ The crossroads of Emerson and Washington. Both homes were south of Washington Street.

12/26/2022

Mystery Monday. Last week we shared a 1905 photo of Hilton U Brown's children awaiting Santa. This week it is a photo taken by the Brown family of their neighbor's home and winter garden. The home was on the southeast corner of Emerson and Washington Street and belonged to, Irvington artist, William Forsyth. The Irvington Historical Society wishes you and your family the magic of the season. Our museum, the Bona Thompson, will be closed through January 7th. Please visit us at 5350 University Avenue.

12/26/2022

Mystery Monday. Last week we shared a 1905 photo of Hilton U Brown's children awaiting Santa. This week it is a photo taken by the Brown family of their neighbor's home and winter garden. The home was on the southeast corner of Emerson and Washington Street and belonged to, Irvington artist, William Forsyth. The Irvington Historical Society wishes you and your family the magic of the season. Our museum, the Bona Thompson, will be closed through January 7th. Please visit us at 5350 University Avenue.

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas. More snow pictures circa 1970. These were taken by another neighbor of Hilton U Brown and Wm Forsyth, either Dorothy Harder or Grace McVey. They resided at this home at 115 S. Emerson and took an enormous number of slides of Irvington. These are of Ellenberger Hill and when there was an outside ice rink.

12/24/2022

More images of Brown's Hill. This one from 1962 thanks to Susan Sklar, from her grandfather, Wm Forsyth's, home across from Brown's Hill.

12/23/2022

On this historically cold Winter's day and following our posts about Hilton U Brown's home in Irvington, here is a painting from the collection of the Irvington Historical Society. Painted by Wm Forsyth's son-in-law Robert Selby, it is of Brown's Hill where many of you reminisce about sledding. More tomorrow.

12/21/2022

In 1865, the Indiana General Assembly established the Indiana State Normal School, renamed Indiana State University in 1965. The Terre Haute school's objective was to train teachers for Indiana's public schools at no cost. By 2018, the university offered more than 100 programs related to subjects like technology and health care.
Learn more about Indiana State University history here: https://www.indstate.edu/business/history/timeline

Photo courtesy of Indiana State University.

12/19/2022

12/19/2022

Mystery Monday. Do you still have that wonderful childish anticipation of waiting for Christmas? This 1905 ca. photo shows the living room fireplace of the Hilton U. Brown home once at 5087 E. Washington St (now a Riker's ). The inscription on the back reads "old homestead H.U. Brown designed this fireplace - even the engraving above the mantel. My grandmother (Jean) waiting for Santa." left to right the children are, Dis (Jessica), Paul, Mary behind and Jean in front. The Irvington Historical Society wishes you all a warm Christmas and health in the New Year.

12/18/2022

The Bona Thompson will NOT be open during the Luminaria. We will open during out regular hours of 1 to 4. Please visit us when we re-open on January 7th.

12/14/2022

Bruce Titus Gable

Bruce Titus Gable

12/13/2022

8mm film taken at the Irvington (Indiana) Downey Preschool, circa 1965-1975, Part 2

Part 2 of the Downey Preschool video. Part 1 was posted on Monday, Dec 12. If you can identify any of the people shown or the date of this film, please do. If you would be interested in funding the digitization of addition films, let us know. Digitizing this one film cost $85. We have 5 more that were taken from 1960 to 1980. https://youtu.be/yh_xzAzB-mc Part 2

8mm film taken at Downey Christian Preschool in Irvington (Indiana), circa 1965-1975. Digitized by the Irvington Historical Society.

12/12/2022

8mm film taken at the Irvington (Indiana) Preschool, circa 1965-1975, Part 1

Mystery Monday. As the Archives continues to sort and index 20 years worth of donated items, we come up with some gems. Unfortunately, those gems need help so that we can see what they are. Today's gem is connected to the Cooperative Daycare that has been connected with Downey Christian Church since the mid 60s. When she retired Cynthia McCrae donated a collection of newsletters and 16 mm films from the 60s to 90s. The newsletter changed names several times. Here is part 1 of the one film that we have had digitized. If you can help with identification or dates, we thank you. If you could fund the digitization of additional films, we would appreciate the help. The cost for this single roll was $85. https://youtu.be/Tt3LmYXCU6w Part 1. We will run part 2 tomorrow.

8mm film taken at Downey Christian Preschool in Irvington (Indiana), circa 1965-1975. Digitized by the Irvington Historical Society.

12/09/2022

Photos from Hannah's Memorial Playground's post

12/07/2022

A presentation by Steve Barnett, Marion County Historian and Executive Director of the Irvington Historical Society will be offered on Saturday, Dec 10, 2022 at the Bona Thompson.

12/05/2022

Mystery Monday. The first photo shows of the cast of the "Revolutionary Time" segment of Irvington's 1914 Independence Day Pageant at Ellenberger Park. We are lucky enough to also have a legible program which shows that the cast must have been half of the residents of Irvington. Mr. & Mrs. Adams were listed in the program as George and Martha Washington. The other couples are: Mr. & Mrs. Charles E Davis, Edward J & Harriet Hecker, Daisy & Robert Bryant Long, Ina Mae & Earle McFerren, Laura L & Herschel Smith Miller, and Mr. & Mrs. Walter Scholler. Several open questions, I can't find Mrs. Davis or Mrs. Scholler's first names. The Millers appear to be a different family from the Millers who once owned the Benton House. And finally there was a picture of Ina Mae & Earle McFerren in Ancestry.com from this event. If there are other pictures out there, we would love to have copies.

12/02/2022

Warning Archivist rabbit hole! As I worked on putting together our new exhibit, War & Peas, I searched out interesting facts about each poster. What I ended up with is 3 books on my reading list. Here are those titles and the posters that convinced me to add them. A Careless Word, Capt. Arthur R. Moore, 1983 (the losses suffered by the merchant marines in WWII), The Valley of the God- Almighty Jones, Maginel Wright Enright Barney (a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright's sister) and Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926. Thomas H Keels, 2017 (an exposition that was a commercial failure). The exhibit runs through March at the Bona Thompson Center, 5350 University Avenue.

11/30/2022

Steve Barnett will be there!

11/29/2022

Your donation supports the Irvington Historical Society. Give today - https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/support/. Thank you!

11/29/2022

Steve Barnett - Is this true.

11/28/2022

. Your donations help to tell Irvington's story. All donations are greatly appreciated as we create new exhibits, preserve the items in the collection, and maintain the historic Bona Thompson building!
https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/support/

11/28/2022

Mystery Monday. What do you know about the young woman who is memorialized by the original Butler library on the Irvington campus? What do you know about quilting, crazy quilts in particular? Know why Typhoid Fever was the number 3 killer in 1882, right below TB and Pneumonia? The exhibit opening on December 3 at the Bona Thompson Center, 5350 University Ave will connect all of those topics. We hope to see you. Admission is free. Donations are greatly appreciated.

11/27/2022

Giving Tuesday is almost here. HINT: You don't have to wait until Tuesday to support the Irvington Historical Society! All donations are appreciated as we work to preserve & share our history and maintain our historic building. https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/support/

11/27/2022

Click on the Wikipedia link for more details about her work teaching the children of Irvington.

11/26/2022

irvingtonhistoricalsociety.square.site

The museum is closed so our volunteers may enjoy the holiday weekend, but you can still shop online.

11/23/2022

The Sigma Gamma Rho Centennial Step Team

Watch for the Sigma Gamma Rho Centennial Step Team in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The sorority was founded in Irvington in 1922.

The Sigma Gamma Rho Centennial Step Team is a performance ensemble from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, located at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The step team was founded in 2022 to celebrate the centennial celebrations of the sorority, with its members made up of student and alumni chapters...

11/23/2022

Get ready for . Your donations help to tell Irvington's story. https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/support/

11/21/2022

Mystery Monday. Did you know that in the 1976 Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade, a float was pulled by a 1977 International Harvester Scout II powered by a V8 gas engine (345) built by the folks at 5565 Brookville Road in Irvington? The Scout was assembled in Ft. Wayne, the transmission and Electrical components were built in Kokomo. A true Hoosier 4 x 4!! Thanks to Kent Hankins for the post.

11/20/2022

An easy way to help support the Irvington Historical Society.